Love Hina: Welcome to Hinatasou
by thegymrat
Summary: UPDATED! I apologize for the huge hiatus I took on this story, but I had a massive case of writer's block. Miko gets in some serious flirting time with Taisuke and two secrets are discovered. One about Sesaru, and the other, read to find out. R&R!
1. Default Chapter

Love Hina: Welcome to Hinatasou   
  
The wind sweeps across the Hinatasou as a young man ascends the steps. His dark brown hair is swept about by the wind, it is messy and wild. His cool grey eyes gaze upat the one time hotel as a smile creeps across his face. A fog slowly comes to rest around him. A group of old men are standing in a circle around him. One of them speaks up. "It is a fine thing, a new face. But a new face changes things. Change can be good, but change is not always wanted." The young man continues past the old men not seeming to notice them. The fog lifts and they are no longer there. He knocks on the door and waits for a moment. A woman who might be in her thirties or slightly older, an attractive woman with brown hair and a cigarette between her lips opens the door. He smiles at her and runs a hand through his hair. "Can I get a room?"   
  
(Enter opening theme)  
  
Yane no ue de sora o aogu, hizashi wa uraraka  
miageru sora, karadajuu genki ga minagitteku  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, akirameru da nante  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Uruwashi no yawaraka na hada, imada te wa todokazu  
me o tojireba fukuramu IMEEJI, miwaku no kajitsu  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, sono saki o mitai   
  
Dotou no hibi wa tsuzuku, doko made mo  
tengoku to jigoku, yukitsumodoritsu  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
hashire hashire, ai o te nisuru made  
sore de kurushimunara nozomu tokoro  
shukufuku no toki ga kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Te o nobashite, ryoute agete!  
  
(End Theme Song)  
  
  
Episode One: A New Face  
  
Eight people all sat forward in their seats and exclaimed loudly, "Eh?" Then it became a babble of questions and threats and other such necessities. At least they were necessities for the people of Hinatasou. The only other man among them, a brown haired skinny guy with glasses, was just as preplexed as the seven women.   
  
"I don't get it. This is an all-female dormitory. I don't think you can live here, it isn't proper." He grunted as the only silent one, the cigarette woman whose name was apparently Urashima Haruka, elbowed his head.   
  
"This was a hotel at one point, and if I am right you do need the money of an extra tenant to keep this place in order. I'm sure the others wouldn't mind having another man around the place."   
  
The guy with the glasses glared at her out of the corner of his eye. "You mean to do chores in their place don't you?" He grunted again as she planted a fist in his face without looking. He fell over backwards with his legs twitching and his glasses broken. The others were a bit interested but unsure.   
  
One of them, a red head, seemed only the second most against it. "No way! We get enough trouble having a pervert like Keitaro around, we don't need another guy here! And we only need Keitaro as kanrinin." Keitaro hops back up to his feet and looks at her like a wounded animal. Somehow his glasses were back in order and he seemed unhurt.   
  
The red head sees his look and waves her hands in front of her face. "Keitaro...I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry but..." He just sighs and hangs his head. He starts to look up when one of the others collapses on his shoulder her breasts right in his face.   
  
He glances back and gets a freaked out look on his face. "Mu...mu...Mutsumi-san!" The red head is now looking like some kind of devil with a red glow surrounding her and her fist clenched in front of her. She winds up and knocks him into orbit.   
  
A pretty blue haired girl was tending to the fallen Mutsumi who seemed to have passed out for some reason. She was waving a fan in front of Mustumi. Behind them another tenant, a short haired blond with a bottle of Sake in her hand was busy snoring. Somehow she had gotten drunk in the time it had taken for that whole exchange to go through. A foreign looking girl was busy dancing about chanting something about yummy food. Suddenly a small turtle landed on her head and began waving it's flippers back and forth. A girl who looked like she did Kendo sat quietely in one corner.  
  
Taking this all in the young man raised his arm to ask a question. Haruka nodded. "Umm...I was wondering. Well...I won't make trouble and all I need is to stay here for a month. I can pay for my stay here just like anyone else and I will do chores equally with everyone else."   
  
Keitaro wandered back in holding his head in pain. "Well that sounds fine to me. I suppose you can stay here for the month. As long as that's ok with everyone else?"   
  
There was an argument, which included Keitaro being bashed around quite a bit, but in the end they finally agreed, but stated that the first sign of pervertedness and he'd be out. Keitaro grinneed weakly and shook the young man's hand. "It looks like you're in. I'm Keitaro the kanrinin(resident manager), and these are Urashima Naru(red head), Maehara Shinobu(blue hair), Konno Mitsune also called Kitsune(drunk), Kaolla Su(foreign girl), and Aoyama Motoko(kendo girl). And I guess we need your name."   
  
The young man smiled and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm Shutairo Taisuke. Nice to meet you all." There was a chorus of hellos except from one person. Motoko was glancing at him with an questioning look as if she was trying to remember something about him that she couldn't quite bring to mind. The turtle flew up right in front of his face and raised a flipper.   
  
"Myu."   
  
"Myu is not a word!"   
  
(screen swipe to hot springs)  
  
Day 1  
  
"I don't know. I still think we shouldn't let him stay here. Having Keitaro here is one thing, but having another guy just seems like we'll compound the whole thing." Naru sighed and leaned back in the steaming water that came up to the top of her breasts. Kitsune, whose eyes don't seem to open, just rubs her chin and gets a sneaky look on her face.   
  
"I say we have some fun. Make him do something perverted and give him one chance to make up for it." The others eyed her askance and each was trying to figure out what she meant.   
  
It was Shinobu who first spoke up. "I don't think we should do that. He seems nice enough to me, let's let him stay." The rest glanced over at her and Suu flew past them running after Tama-chan shouting something about eating him. Nobody payed her any mind.   
  
Kitsune grinned and clapped her hands together. "Ahh...I see, Shinobu thinks he's cute."   
  
She blushed and waved her hands in front of her to deny it. "No...it's not that...I just don't think we should do anything before we get to know him better." She dropped her head to stare at the water and stayed that way.   
  
Naru looked back over at Kitsune and then started to get out. "Kitsune, are you just trying to do this because you think you can get him to do all the chores around here?" A sly smile crossed the older woman's face as she got out and started towards the door. Suddenly she turned around and grinned. Her stare was fixed on Motoko.   
  
The Kendo girl glanced up at Kitsune realizing she was being stared at. "What? What is it?" Kitsune just chuckled evily and rubbed her hands together in glee.   
  
Up in the men's bath area Keitaro settled back into the water. He had heard as much as he was going to, now he just had to warn Taisuke before Kitsune could do anything. And manage it without getting punched into orbit...and keep the same from happening to Taisuke. Tama-chan flew in and landed on his head. Keitaro glanced up and smiled. "Tama-chan, you're going to be my messenger. Now listen very carefully to what I am about to say..."   
  
(End theme)  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
yoake no hikari sosogu ka no chi wa doko?  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
Honojiroi sono hohoemi, douka sawarasete  
  
Koko wa hi no ataranai basho  
hitorikiri de naku toki no himitsu no basho  
sakebu youni namae yobunda  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no michi  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no hikari  
kimi ga iru kara, kimi sae ireba 


	2. Episode 2

(Enter opening theme)  
  
Yane no ue de sora o aogu, hizashi wa uraraka  
miageru sora, karadajuu genki ga minagitteku  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, akirameru da nante  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Uruwashi no yawaraka na hada, imada te wa todokazu  
me o tojireba fukuramu IMEEJI, miwaku no kajitsu  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, sono saki o mitai   
  
Dotou no hibi wa tsuzuku, doko made mo  
tengoku to jigoku, yukitsumodoritsu  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
hashire hashire, ai o te nisuru made  
sore de kurushimunara nozomu tokoro  
shukufuku no toki ga kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Te o nobashite, ryoute agete!  
  
(End Theme Song)  
  
Episode 2 Hinata Women  
  
Day 4  
  
"Eh? This was your grandmother's place originally?" The two men sat across from each other in the room with the label kanrinin on it. It was Keitaro's room.   
  
Keitaro smiled and nodded. "Hai. Grandma Hina left to tour the hot springs of the world. I guess you could say chasing after dreams is a Urashima trait. And I managed mine of getting into Todai."  
  
Taisuke grinned and nudged the older man. "So Mutsumi-senpai and Naru-senpai are boht Todai students? Are you and Naru an item?"  
  
The smile that slid across the former Ronin's face was a definent give away. "Hai, for about a year and a half now. It took a lot before it really happened. But we did eventually get married."  
  
Taisuke had a truly mystified look on his face. "I can't believe all the things you told me are true. Suu and her brohter, Motoko and her sister, Moe-chan, it's all so amazing! I wish-" His words were cut off at the sound of a resoundng boom.  
  
(Fade out to the courtyard)  
  
Everyone except Taisuke just sighed as the door of the crashed van opened. Out came a man about Haruka's age, 30, with blood streaming down his forehead. He just calmly smiled and said, "Hello." And after him came an american girl of about 12 or so.  
  
Haruka sauntered over and bashed him on the head. "Welcome back." From his spot on the ground he smiled up at Haruka. "Who's the new face?" Haruka sighed and walked off. Taisuke walked over and helped the man up. The genuine surprise on each's face when they got a good lok at each other lasted but a moment. "Seta-san." Seta just grinned and replied, "Tai-chan."  
  
Everyone was surprised except for Motoko who just seemed suspicious. Kitsune slid across the ground and stopped between them. She rubbed her chin for effect. "Ahhh...so Seta-san knows Tai-chan. Interesting interesting. How's that hmmm?" Seta-san just smiled and turned around.   
  
"Sorry, I just came to drop Sara off before I went on another dig. My flight leaves soon so I can't stay to chat." With one last wave he walked off. Taisuke couldn't quite figure out why Kitsune the fox looked so hurt by this. Haruka just looked her normal bored self but there had been something about her and Seta...he shook it off and turned around nearly running headlong into Shinobu.   
  
"Ah...Gomen Shinobu-chan." The blue haired girl blushed and looked down at her feet.   
  
"It's....it's okay Taisuke-chan." Taisuke grinned and pulled her chin up to look at her.   
  
"Call me Tai-chan. Please?" He looked into her eyes and caught himself before he sighed. She was too pretty and he too unused to being around pretty girls of his own age, or pretty girls at all. Besides his eldest brother's wife. He blushed as she kept looking back and both turned away at about the same time stammering "umms" and "ahhs". The rest of the gang saw being older and more used to such things just gave each other knowing smiles and headed on inside. Taisuke and Shinobu were starting to go back in when Suu jumped off the balcony and bounded over to them.  
  
"WHEEEEE!!!!!!!!" Taisuke grunted in surprise when she landed on his shoulders and then settled there with her legs dangling over his chest. It seemed surprising that he could keep stand with her on his shoulders since both were about the same size. Motoko just noted it and continued inside. Taisuke on the other hand was not prepared to have a pretty girl just hop on his shoulders and dangle her legs in front of him. His nose started to bleed.   
  
In some sort of spinning manuever he managed to get out from under her without dropping her to the ground and then stumbled back into Hinatasou making excuses for his hasty retreat. On the other hand he managed to back up so far that he ended up right at the door to the hot spring which suddenly opened revealing Naru in only a towel. In a state of complete shock Taisuke's nose began to practically gush blood but somehow he managed to dodge the fist Naru aimed at him. He walked off as fast as possible without seeming to retreat and hear a cry. He turned to find Naru, fully clothed, pointing at him. Motoko was next to her and looking really upset. Suu-chan had just showed up with something in her hand that looked suspiciously like a controller.   
  
"Mecha Tama Chan 6! Goooo!!!!!!" Out of nowhere a massive turtle shaped metallic beast showed up and started spewing fireballs at Taisuke. They seemed surprised when Taisuke reacted instantly springing from wall to way deftly avoiding each fireball. The Mecha Tama flew past him and he landed safely on the ground. Motoko yelled loudly and attacked viciously with her boken. The wooden blade was a blur of motion each move an attempt to reach Taisuke's flesh and cause harm. It didn't touch him. He danced backwards with a look of shock and enjoyment on his face as he dodged for all he was worth. Motoko just kept coming. Finally she spoke as the two continued their elaborate dance, now with her attacking, now with him, but usually the first way. "I knew it! I recognized that name! I wasn't certain that it wasn't just coindcidence but it is true. You are a member of the most prestigious martial arts family in all of Japan. One of the most famous dojos in the entire world, top martial arts training center anywhere. The only rival of which is..."   
  
Taisuke grinned as he continued his battle with her. Her ki was enormous and she far more experience then he. It was exhilirating but he wouldn't be able to keep this up much longer let alone beat her. "Shinmei Ryu. The Aoyoma family, I recognized it at once, and your huge ki gave it away as well. I admit that I've met my superior in you. But that doesn't mean I give up." He smiled and redoubled his efforts to beat her, but his increased efforts were only tiring him faster. And to make matters worse Naru showed up with that award winning punch of hers that knocked him right into a wall and let him slide down it. He got up his body shaky. He was almost out of ki and he was faced with bad odds. Motoko raised her boken and gathered ki for her "Zankuusen" technique while Suu-chan positioned Mecha Tama for an attack, Naru just held her fists at the ready.   
  
Faced with a master swordswoman who could manipulate her own ki into a telekenetic force, a girl with a giant turtle robot that launched fireballs from its mouth, and a girl who could knock you into orbit with one punch, he did the only thing that made sense. He ran. The explosions of fireballs, curses from Naru, and strange whipcracks form the Zankuusen drew Keitaro's attention. He looked down over the balcony as the three girls chased Taisuke all over the dorm. Sighing he gave up. Tama-chan floated up to him and held her leg out with the little message he had rolled up and placed on it. "Myu."   
  
"You were supposed to deliver this to Taisuke." The cute little turtle just blinked at him and once again said. "Myu."  
  
Down below Taisuke shouted as he ran for his life. "MYU IS NOT A WORD!"  
  
(End theme)  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
yoake no hikari sosogu ka no chi wa doko?  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
Honojiroi sono hohoemi, douka sawarasete  
  
Koko wa hi no ataranai basho  
hitorikiri de naku toki no himitsu no basho  
sakebu youni namae yobunda  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no michi  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no hikari  
kimi ga iru kara, kimi sae ireba 


	3. Episode 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina(forgot to mention this in episode 1 for all those people who don't know lol) and actually do not wish to. Owning Love Hina would simply cause me to be bombarded by hordes of e-mails from fans who love Love Hina. In a separate note I'd like to say that I have a friend by the name of Hena, which is pronounced the same way. So Hena, this chapter is dedicated to you, just because.  
  
(Enter opening theme)  
  
Yane no ue de sora o aogu, hizashi wa uraraka  
miageru sora, karadajuu genki ga minagitteku  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, akirameru da nante  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Uruwashi no yawaraka na hada, imada te wa todokazu  
me o tojireba fukuramu IMEEJI, miwaku no kajitsu  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, sono saki o mitai   
  
Dotou no hibi wa tsuzuku, doko made mo  
tengoku to jigoku, yukitsumodoritsu  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
hashire hashire, ai o te nisuru made  
sore de kurushimunara nozomu tokoro  
shukufuku no toki ga kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Te o nobashite, ryoute agete!  
  
(End Theme Song)  
  
  
Episode 3: Fox Fun on the Run  
  
Day 5  
  
Taisuke sat in the center of a circle of women. The inquisition. At least that was what Kitsune called it before she sat him down and gathered everyone. Keitaro sat next to Naru with his arm around her waist. Taisuke had just learned that they were married. But ramblign in his mind wasn't going to shake off his nerves. Kitsune smiled wickedly with chin in palm. "Taisuke-chan, truth or dare?"  
  
The question caught him so off guard that he automatically said. "Dare?" Kitsune chuckled and continued rubbing her chin. Nobody else seemed as nervous as he was.   
  
"Okay then. Entertainment first. I dare you to kiss Shinobu-chan." Everyone leaned forward and shouted. "Na...nani?" Kitsune just grinned at them. "He said dare so now he has to."  
  
Taisuke nodded and took a deep breath. Balling up his courage he leaned forwards and kissed her on the cheek and sat back down. Both were blushing and refusing to look at one another. Kitsune sighed. "Pooh. I should have said on the lips." Everyone was looking at him so expectantly that he finally realized it was his turn to ask someone.  
  
He scanned everyone trying to decide who to pick. He'd never get the truth from Kitsune so she was out, most wouldn't be any fun, Suu-chan was balancing on one hand. She'd do a dare easy enough but he couldn't think of one good enough. So he was left with. "Motoko-senpai, truth or dare?"   
  
Motoko's eyes lit up and she managed to say "truth" through clenched teeth. Taisuke nodded in thought for a second. He'd ask one of the few things even Keitaro hadn't been able to tell him. "Are you interested in any guys?"   
  
Obviously the question came out in a bad way because Motoko gripped her boken in a death grip and was prepping her ki. "Not at the moment." Came out in almost a mumble. Motoko went easy by asking Ietaro about Todai classes. Keitaro dared Naru for a kiss which she gave without hesitation. It was a rather long, drawn out, passionate kiss. Once Naru caught her breath she dared Suu-chan to whip up something non-destructive in five minutes. Five minutes later she returned with a little capsule that exploded and became a jet bike. Suu dared Shinobu to ride it, she did and returned shaking. Shinobu asked Itsune and managed to get the fox to agree to doing everyone's chores for a week. She was congratulated for outfoxing the fox.  
  
Taisuke knew he was going to be asked. So when Kitsune said, "Truth or dare?", he said truth. Kistune obviously didn't think Taisuke had outsmarted her and he soon learned why. She always got what she wanted. "How do you know Seta-san?"  
  
Taisuke sighed. Oh well, it would have come up again anyways. "He's an old sparring partner of mine. We trained together at my family's dojo." He turned his head and leapt out of the way as Mutsumi collapsed on the couch.   
  
(Fade out and back in)  
  
Mutsumi was lying on the couch with a wet cloth on her forehead as eveyrone sat around her. The inquisition had ended abruptly and everyone was quiet. Until...  
  
Keitaro didn't see the foot flying at his head so got his face smashed into the ground. As he tried to get up Sara flung a piece of clay pottery at his head. It shattered and he hit the ground again. Taisuke yeled in shock when Suu slammed a helmet down over his eyes. "New test subject! Mister Match Maker! It analyzes the wearer and picks out the best possible match!" Everyone oohed and awed as Suu fiddled with the tv. The cracking image slowly began to get clearer as the machine made his match.   
  
The hair was clearing up the fastest. At first it seemed a light color but it started darkening. Just as the color was about to come clear along with some of the facial features the picture went dead. Everyone else looked over at Taisuke to find him holding a chair up to his head. The machine was broken. He dropped the chair and stood up his face a cold mask. Pointing a finger at Suu he spoke with his voice fluctuating with his anger. "You don't do that sort of thing to someone! It isn't right! Baka! Jajauma! Kijo!" He turned around and stormed out of the room and up the stairs.   
  
Suu-chan looked shocked at what had just happened and everyone glared at her. It was the first time anyone had been so offended by what Suu-chan did. Suu stared at the ground in shame and sorrow. She hadn't meant for anything bad to happen. She had just been having fun. Keitaro tapped her on the shoulder and pointed up the stairs. "I think you better go apologize to him."   
  
Suu nodded and ran up the stairs and to Tai-chan's room. She knocked and he responded with a shaky, "Who is it?"   
  
"It's me. Kaolla. I wanted to apologize for what I did." Taisuke pulled open the door and stood face to face with her. He was taller then her, but not by a lot. They were the same age, 17, even though Suu didn't act it. At least not until now and on other occasions. They were disimilar in many ways, not just in complexion but in hair color and eyes. And attitude. Taisuke ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "It's ok...I just was upset because I didn't want anyone to see something like that. Especially not without my permission."   
  
Suu smiled a bit and bobbed her head up and down. "I usually just act without thinking. And I usually only test those things out on friends. Can we be friends?" Taisuke smiled and looked back into his room.   
  
"Do you want to come in and talk? I've got some instant noodles cooked up." Suu just made a "yay!" sound and started on in with Taisuke closing the door behind her. "Hope you don't mind that it's spicy."   
  
It was the start of a strange friendship.   
  
(End theme)  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
yoake no hikari sosogu ka no chi wa doko?  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
Honojiroi sono hohoemi, douka sawarasete  
  
Koko wa hi no ataranai basho  
hitorikiri de naku toki no himitsu no basho  
sakebu youni namae yobunda  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no michi  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no hikari  
kimi ga iru kara, kimi sae ireba 


	4. Episode 4

(Enter opening theme)  
  
Yane no ue de sora o aogu, hizashi wa uraraka  
miageru sora, karadajuu genki ga minagitteku  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, akirameru da nante  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Uruwashi no yawaraka na hada, imada te wa todokazu  
me o tojireba fukuramu IMEEJI, miwaku no kajitsu  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, sono saki o mitai   
  
Dotou no hibi wa tsuzuku, doko made mo  
tengoku to jigoku, yukitsumodoritsu  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
hashire hashire, ai o te nisuru made  
sore de kurushimunara nozomu tokoro  
shukufuku no toki ga kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Te o nobashite, ryoute agete!  
  
(End Theme Song)  
  
Episode 4: Exploration and the Turtle Lady  
  
Day 7  
  
The alliance forged between Tai, Suu, and Sara had become dangerous. Suu and Sara had always played tricks. But Tai had suddenly joined their fun and made them even worse. At the moment Taisuke was sparring with Motoko. Both held bokens and moved at speeds that didn't seem humanly possible. Their bokens crossed with both pushing full strength. With one final shout they pusehd with all they had. They slid apart from each other and stopped, breathing hard.  
  
The two martial artists bowed to each other and relaxed. Tai handed Motoko his boken and smiled. "Thanks. It tisn't foten I get a match of such caliber." Motoko smiled back and accepted his thanks. "It is the same for me." The she gestured with her boken. Suu hoped up onto his shoulders and Sara ran up behind her.  
  
"Oi! Kaolla, what's up?" She just bent over so her face was upside down in front of his. He had gotten used to have Suu on his shoulders, but he suddenly felt a blush creeping across his face. His heart was pounding. Is this a dream? He thought. The foreign girl grinned and returned to her previous position. He wondered if his blush had been what she was grinning about.  
  
"Aye aye! Me and Sara were having a robo battle and we blew a hole in the ground a few miles from here! Let's explore!" Sara grabbed his wrist and began dragging him along. Grinning he followed the american girl into the mountains. Unaware of the eyes that were watching. They glowed red and then were silent.   
  
(Fade to cave entrance)  
  
Taisuke stared into the hole created by Suu's robots. It was dark and dank. "Umm...shouldn't we have brought flashlights?" Suu did a flip and landed in a crouch. She stared at the hole for a while as if deep in thought and then turned to face Tai and Sara. She grinned widely and said, "I guess I forgot!" Sara and Tai fell backwards sweat drops forming on their brows. Sara was up first and shouting. "Great! Now we have to go back and get flashlights and risk everyone wanting to know what we are up to!"  
  
(Fade out to Hinatasou)  
  
"Oi, Motoko-chan. Have you seen Tai-chan and Suu-chan? I've collected everyone's rent except for theirs." Motoko glanced down at the stairwell at Keitaro. "Hai. I saw Tai head off somewhere with Suu and Sara about ten minutes ago. Somewhere up in the mountains."  
  
"Arigato Motoko-chan. I'll go and find them." He turned and headed back down the stairs. He stopped when Motoko rushed up to him and looked at him with a serious expression. Not that she usually had any other kind.  
  
"Urashima. I will help you search." The two watched each other closelly for a moment and finally Keitaro nodded. They turned and headed down the stairs. AT the same moment the alliance was making its way through a secret passage to storage. Suu dropped through the ceiling exit in the room and snuck over to where the flashlights were. She was wearing a ninja outfit.  
  
As he and Sara entered the room Tai leaned close to Sara and whispered, "Where did she get the ninja gear?" The american girl just shrugged her shoulders and followed Suu. The new ninja handed each one a flashlight and then went for the window. She watched Keitaro and MOtoko leave and once they wree out of sight the three headed out on the rooftops.  
  
Kitsune looked up at the alliance creeping across the roof. Bottle of sake in hand she giggled as she rose unsteadily to her feet. "Entertainment. Let's see what those three are up to."   
  
(Fade out to cave)  
  
The alliance walked through the cavern with Suu in the lead, flashlights probbing the darkness. Tai leaned close to Sara again and whispered, "Did you see Kaolla change back into normal clothing?" Sara shook her head and they kept going. Tai yelped as he tripped on something and fell. His landing was cushioned when his face struck something soft and firm.  
  
The flashlight revealed his pillow to be Mutsumi and what he had his face on...he jerked his face away from her breasts and quickly apologized. "Gomen nasai! Gomen Gomen!" It was only about ten repitions later that Mutsumi actually woke up.  
  
Looking around with a silly expression on her face, that smiling naive look she always had, she smiled openly at them. "Ara ara. I guess I fainted." Taisuke couldn't help staring at the beautiful anemic, but he couldn't believe that Keitaro said she was very smart but simply clumsy, weak due to anemia, and accident prone. She didn't seem smart to him at all.  
  
Suu was excited and surprised to have come across Mutsumi. But then she always seemed excited, so surprised was the best word. She made herself more clear when she said, "Turtle Lady! Why are you here?" Mutsumi looked about and smiled. "I...that is...I'm not sure." Tai, Suu, and sara collapsed in shock. At the same time Motoko and Keitaro had managed to stumble into the cave. Or rather Keitaro had an accident with Motoko and was Zankuusen'd into the hole. Kitsune kept a safe distance away but followed the two. Somehow she had ended up following them instead of the alliance. There was a sound ahead, Motoko and Keitaro had stopped. The sounds were coming from nearby. They kept their lights scanning for the source. And it was Keitaro's bumbling that once again got lucky. He stumbled and his hand landed on Motoko's breast. he screamed as she shouted, "Zankuusen!" He was flung int othe far wall. It collapsed inwards and Keitaro found himself looking up at Seta.  
  
Kitsune ran up greeted by Motoko who seemed unsurprised by Kitsune's presence. Seta greeted her warmly and Keitaro was surprised. "Seta-san. What are you doing down here?" Seta smiled and shrugged his shoulders.   
  
"I don't know. I was on an island in the Pacific at a dig site, I fell through a hole, and ended up here. I"m surprised I ended up at Hinata." They all just stared at him until Keitaro put a hand behind his head and started laughing. Pretty soon all of them were laughing. Until they started to hear voices.  
  
"Watch it! That's my foot!" "That's not your foot! That's mine!" "Well then who's foot is..." The voice faded out as if somone had clapped a hand over the mouth. There was a sudden giggle. "And that's my butt." There was scrabbling as of someone moving on rocks quickly. "GOMEN!" "Baka!" "Naru?" "HENTAI!"   
  
The wall burst open as Taisuke came hurtling through propelled by Naru's punch. Naru followed cracking her knuckles with that murderous look on her face. Sara, Suu, and Mutsumi followed. They all stopped shocked to find everyone there. Keitaro glanced over at Taisuke who was just now getting to his feet. "What's going on?"  
  
Suu proceeded to explain. She, Tai, and Sara had been exploring. They had come across Mutsumi who had no idea why she was there. She had accidently destroyed their flashlights. They had entered a small tunnel that made them crawl. Taisuke had been crawling close enough that when she stopped he got his face in her butt. Naru had shown up and belted him into the room. Satisfied Keitaro, Kistune, and Seta all explained why they were there.  
  
Tai looked around. "Ummm...what do we do now?" They all sat down and started to think. It seemed like they were totally out of options. Until Keitaro came up with a radical idea. "Hit me Narusegawa."  
  
Everyone was totally shocked, this seemed the last idea of a lunatic and not very helpful, until Keitaro explained that Naru belting him into the ceiling might get them free. Naru gave it a try and only made him stagger backwards. Her patented Naru punch only showed up when she was angry. They were back to square one until Tai got Motoko to attack Keitaro. He was bounced around the room until he came to rest face in Mustumi's bosom. Moments later there was a hole in the ceiling. Keitaro returned with rope and everyone climbed...only to find themselves in a jungle.  
  
Seta looked around in surprise and recognition while everyone else just sort of stared around. "Funny. This is the hole I fell through."  
  
"NANI?!"  
  
(End theme)  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
yoake no hikari sosogu ka no chi wa doko?  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
Honojiroi sono hohoemi, douka sawarasete  
  
Koko wa hi no ataranai basho  
hitorikiri de naku toki no himitsu no basho  
sakebu youni namae yobunda  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no michi  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no hikari  
kimi ga iru kara, kimi sae ireba 


	5. Episode 5

Note: I just found out recently from a review that I should have been calling Naru, Urashima Naru, instead of Narusegawa Naru since she was married to Keitaro. From now on I will. Also I would like to ask if anyone knows where i can find and download the OAVs for LH.  
  
"NANI?!"   
  
Naru, Keitaro, Suu, Sara, Kitsune, Tai, and Motoko were all having a fit about hearing that they were someone on an island in the middle of nowhere, coming out of a hole that Keitaro's head had made and yet Seta claimed to have fallen through, which would mean it was also made before they saw Seta in the caves. Mutsumi just smiled innocently and looked around. "Ara, is something the matter?"   
  
As of anime style they all fell backwards to the ground. Sara sat bolt upright and started screaming. "OF COURSE SOMETHING IS THE MATTER! WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE!"   
  
Seta stood there rubbing his chin. He looks around and nods thoughtfully. "I finally figured it out. The dig site isn't here anymore. It looks like my crew has left. It looks like we're stranded." He said this matter of factly and with no worry in his voice. He smiled at everyone and Sara rounded on him. "Papa? We're stuck here with no way out. HOW IS THAT A GOOD THING?"   
  
At that moment Tama-chan popped up on the top of Mutsumi's head and raised a flipper. "Myu!"  
  
(Enter opening theme)  
  
Yane no ue de sora o aogu, hizashi wa uraraka  
miageru sora, karadajuu genki ga minagitteku  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, akirameru da nante  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Uruwashi no yawaraka na hada, imada te wa todokazu  
me o tojireba fukuramu IMEEJI, miwaku no kajitsu  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, sono saki o mitai   
  
Dotou no hibi wa tsuzuku, doko made mo  
tengoku to jigoku, yukitsumodoritsu  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
hashire hashire, ai o te nisuru made  
sore de kurushimunara nozomu tokoro  
shukufuku no toki ga kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Te o nobashite, ryoute agete!  
  
(End Theme Song)  
  
Episode 5: Fear unto Thyself  
  
Day 8  
  
The tenants and kanrinin, along with Seta, Haruka, and Mutsumi, all sat grinning across the table as food was passed back and forth. Keitaro grinned and pointed towards a bowl of rice. "Shinobu-chan, could you pass the rice please?" She smiled and passed the bowl of rice, he took it, dropped it, grabbed at it, ended up touching Motoko's legs, and got blasted away by a Zankuusen. Conversation continued as usual. It was such a bustle of talking that it was hard to make out what was being said, several conversations were going on at once and on different topics. A short while later Keitaro dragged himself back to his seat and rose onto it painfully. He resumed eating and talking.   
  
Taisuke suddenly slammed his hands against the table and rose to his feet. "What in the world is going on here!" Everyone stops talking in shock and looks up at him. He shakes his head and grabs a bowl of rice and shows it to them.   
  
"One moment we're frustrated and bitching about being stuck on this Kami cursed island in the middle of nowhere. And then there was that stupid song..."   
  
Shinobu blushed and muttered, "I kind of liked it."   
  
Taisuke continued as if he didn't hear what she said...which he probably didn't since he was close to shouting. "...and when it ended we were all herer! Eating in Hinatasou as if nothing had happened! And that's the worst thing! WHAT THE HELL IS HINATASOU DOING ON THIS ISLAND!"   
  
Everything fades back to reveal Hinatasou sitting in the middle of a tropical jungle, it keeps expanding until it shows a view of a beautiful little tropical island. Then it pans far to the right to where it finally stops with a red arrow pointing at Hinata. The view condenses until it is focused on the hinata gang.   
  
Taisuke glared at everyone and shook in frustration. Tama-chan chose that moment to pop up on his head and myu at everyone. This broke the silence and the talking began.   
  
Suu grinned and finished shoveling a bit of food in her mouth, "It is time for lunch! All other activities are dropped at lunch time! That's a japanese trait!" Taisuke sighed and dropped his head into his palms. Always the same.   
  
Kitsune nodded her head as if it makes sense. "True, the song was just like an interlude, except the beginning, sort of like an opening theme. So now we started here, that music covered what actually happened between then and now." She nodded her head and grinned. Taisuke blinked. She was wearing a detective outfit, the full Sherlock Homes. How she had changed without anyone noticing and with no time for it only God knew.   
  
Keitaro leaned over the table and started shouting. "That doesn't make any sense at all! Even in an anime we should know what happened between then and now! But it's all gray area! We just are here! Can you explain that?"  
  
Haruka just looked at them all blankly. "There isn't any use arguing. Nobody knows whats going on and badgering with Kitsune is only going to lead to more argument. And you shouldn't be leaning over the table like that."   
  
Keitaro glanced over to her and in doing so his hand that was supporting him on the table slipped and he tumbled forwads. Of course being who he was his hand ended up smack dab on Kitsune's right breast. The punch knocked him right out of the inn and into a pond outside. Naru looked at Kistune appraisingly and clapped. "That was a great punch Kitsune!" Kitsune smiled and started bowing left and right as the applause started. Tai blinked again. She was back in her normal outfit. And there was no point in even trying to get an explanation of that.   
  
Outside of Hinatasou a figure watched from the shadow's as Keitaro pulled himself from the pond and gasped for breath once he was out. There was a glow of red in it's eyes and they faded. A mist began to descend upon Keitaro, not the same mist that appeared when the elders were about, but a darker mist, something cold and ancient. The feeling coming from it was familar, a sense of foreboding...of apprehension...it was fear.  
  
(Fade out and in again to Hinatasou)  
  
Keitaro walked up the stairs towards his and Naru's room. The former inn seemed rather empty for this time of the day. He didn't notice the faded outlines at the edge of the scene that named it a dream...or at least a false reality. "Oi! Naru! Naru! Where are you Naru?" There was silence for a moment and then finally a voice called back.   
  
"I'm up here Keitaro, I'd like to talk to you about something." The voice sounded cheery enough...but something was off about it. It had quavered for a moment as if uncertain. Keitaro shook of the feeling of dread and finished his march up the stairs and walked right to his room. Naru was in there in that yellow shirt and black skirt she liked to wear, she looked beautiful. He smiled the instant he saw her. But for some reason she seemed a bit downcast, uncertain and yet determined about what something. Finally she looked up at him and the grim and tearful look on her face was enough to put the fear into Keitaro's heart.   
  
"Keitaro...", she began in a shaky voice. "I have to tell you something...I...I've been living a lie. I thought that I could be happy married to you, but I'm not. And every day I live this lie is hurting me more and more and making the truth all the more painful. The truth is...the truth is...I don't think I love you anymore." Tears streaming from her eyes she pressed something into his hands and ran from the room shutting the door behind her. Keitaro just stared blankly at the spot Naru had just occupied.   
  
Slowly he looked down at what she had placed in his hand. A thin band of gold with a tiny diamond in it lay there. Her wedding ring. He stared at it unspeaking and a tear trickled from the corner of his eye. His heart felt as if it had been ripped from him. He threw back his head and wailed, "NARUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
(Fade out and back in)  
  
Urashima Naru rushed up the stairs towards her and Keitaro's room. If she had slowed and truly looked she would have noticed the fuzzy edges that made this all untrue. But to her it was real as anything else. She was happy, giddy even, she didn't have any real reason, she just wanted to be with Keitaro at that moment. So she rounded the corner and opened the door.   
  
She stopped dead and stared at the sight before her. She felt dead inside as if all that was important to her was gone. Keitaro jerked upright and turned to stare at Naru in shock. She stumbled backwards a few paces and only stopped when her back hit the wall. She shook her head in disbelief at what she had seen. She turned and started to run. Keitaro reached an arm out and called, "Wait! Naru! It isn't what you think!"   
  
She ran sobbing as her heart was ripped away from her. She tripped and fell to the floor and lay there staring at nothing. Keitaro had been kissing Mutsumi-san...and nothing would be the same again. She began to sob, her shoulders heaving, as she lay there on the cold floor.   
  
(Fade out and back in)  
  
Motoko didn't notice the fuzzy edges of the scene, all she noticed was Tama-chan. That little turtle was after her! Oh certainly the others would say he was harmless...and even cute! But not her...she knew evil when she saw it, and nothing was as evil as a turtle. Nothing whatsoever. Her feet slapping against the floor she ran as fast as she could away from that evil turtle. "Leave me alone oni no kame!" She spun around and her sword swept downwards with a slashing telekenetic strike. Her attack split the wall open and it showed green. Tama-chan stopped and myued, the myu was echoed hundreds, no thousands of times. Motoko stared in horror as the walls began to shake. She knew what was about to happen. The walls burst and thousands of turtles came pouring in, a flood of them that washed over Motoko burying her. Before it swept all the way over her she screamed, "ONI NO KAME!!!!!!!!!"  
  
(Fade out and back in)  
  
Mutsumi sat in her room silently. "Kotatsu, watermelons, hot springs." She smiled contentedly.  
  
(Fade out)  
  
The figure watching stared at the mist and what was seen. "What is wrong with that girl?"   
  
(Fade out and in again)  
  
Kaolla sprung from rooftop to rooftop in glee, "Nii-sama...I'm not so sure now...maybe...but I don't know."   
  
(Fade out)   
  
The figure blinked a few times. "Nothing? There is uncertainty...but no fear. What is this girl?"   
  
(Fade out and in again)  
  
"Seta...I love you." Konno Mitsune, Kitsune to her friends, stared deeply into the eyes of the man that she loved. Seta, her hearthrob who she had nearly given away to Naru...who no longer loved Seta but instead loved Keitaro. Kitsune waited with hope in her heart at Seta's response. Seta simply began moving backwards without walking. He said nothing, simply got farther and farther away from her. She stretched out her arms and started running after him. But no matter how fast she ran he was always ahead of her. She yelped as she stumbled and fell. She lay there on the ground in silence. Tears flowed from her eyes and dripped to the ground beneath her. Kitsune mumbled the only thing she could. "Always out of reach...no matter how hard I try."  
  
(Fade out and then in)  
  
"Papa! No Papa! Don't leave Sara! PAPA!!!!!" Sara collapsed her body wracked by sobs.  
  
(Fade out and then in)  
  
Maehara Shinobu, sixteen years old, an outcast in school despite her beauty, she was a petite girl yet one of the most attractive girls at her highschool. Her best friend, Kaolla Suu, was one of the others, though she had been more of a late bloomer. Similar to Shinobu herself. Shinobu had a crush on Keitaro for the longest time. But when he married Naru she was able to give him up, but she wasn't the only one. Mutsumi had done the same as had Keitaro's adopted sister, Kanako. Shinobu suspected that even Motoko had feelings for Keitaro at one point. But at the moment one thing alone occupied her mind. The gravestone before her. She sank to her knees staring in shock at the words written on it. Her parents...they couldn't...first they got divorced, their actions tearing at her heart, and now they left her like this long before they should have. It wasn't right. She cried out and draped her body over the headstone and cried upon it.   
  
"KAA-SAN! TOU-SAN! NOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
(Fade out and in)  
  
Shutairo Taisuke, third son of Shutairo Urami, younger brother of Migami, Nezuhaki, and Kawaichi(a name that had always annoyed his middle brother's twin sister). He was part of the long-line of Shutairos who kept the family name going, and soon enough his father would hand down the clan leadership to Nezuhaki most certainly, his skill surpassed Migami's and he was not married. Unless Nezuhaki chose not to claim the right of leadership, then the title would be passed to Taisuke himself.   
  
Urami Shutairo stood before Taisuke and stared down at him with that cold hard gaze. He held out the clan sword and nodded to his youngest son. "Do you Taisuke accept clan leadership?" Taisuke's eyes widened and he backed away on hands and knees shaking his head. "I am not ready...no...this is cannot be happening...this will not happen this way...this isn't possible...THIS IS NOT REAL!!!!"  
  
The figure staggered backwards as the mist was forcefully dispersed. All went silent as the last echoes of the teenager's shout faded. The figure watched carefully at the teen in awe. "You have much power and skill young one, I underestimated you. But what exactly are you?"   
  
One at a time the Hinata gang came awake. They blinked groggily and tried to shake off the effects of their nightmares, all their fears coming true so suddenly. The only ones that seemed no worse for the wear were Suu and Mutsumi. Suu just seemed calm, which was strange for her anyways, but Mutsumi smiled as if nothing had happened. All of them looked up in surprise at the face that looked down at them.   
  
Keitaro fixed his glasses and blinked, "Minna-san?" His adopted sister nodded once to him and flashed that cold smile that sent a chill to the bone of everyone except Keitaro himself. Seta and Haruka seemed unaware that anything had happened at all but were silent.   
  
"What are you doing here Kanako?" Urashima Kanako turned that cold gaze upon Naru and yet Naru did not flinch. She merely met her stare for stare.   
  
"There is evil inhabiting this island, and I was drawn here when I opened the door at Hinatasou. I was coming early before I started helping out here while you and Keitaro started up again for the new year at Todai. This island is not when, or where it should be. The evil that inhabits this place has drawn us all here."   
  
Taisuke stood and looked Kanako right in the eye. She looked back equally unimpressed. But secretly both were impressed by the ki of the other. They had known instantly that the other was a fighter and a skilled one at that. "Listen Kanako, I know about you and all, but what I don't know is what you think we can do against this evil. If it has the power to twist time and space to its will then even with me, Motoko-senpai, and you working together we still wouldn't be able to win."   
  
Kanako nodded calmly. "No. We wouldn't. But there is one thing you didn't count on."   
  
"And what's that?"  
  
"Kaolla Suu."   
  
He blinked in surprise and heard, "Tada! Introducing, fully outfitted Kaolla!" He turned and found himself looking right at Kaolla. She was dressed in a tight pink tank top that didn't cover her stomach, and a long light-green flowing skirt. She had a dulcimer hanging around her neck and her hair was undone and to her shoulders. She had a golden bracelet on and green banded things on her upper arms. She was beautiful.   
  
Taisuke suddenly became aware of laughter when Kitsune nudged him with an elbow. She giggled into her hand and everyone looked a bit amused. "Ahh...Tai-chan thinks Suu-chan is cute. He's staring at her. Isn't that so?"   
  
Taisuke's eyes widened and he glanced back at Kaolla. Then back at the Kitsune. He stood there for a second and then turned around and fled the room. "IT'S NOT KIND TO SAY THINGS ABOUT PEOPLE THAT YOU DON'T KNOW THE ANSWERS ABOUT! LEAVE ME ALONE!"   
  
Kaolla looked at where Taisuke had run off to and then a small smile crossed her face.   
  
(End theme)  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
yoake no hikari sosogu ka no chi wa doko?  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
Honojiroi sono hohoemi, douka sawarasete  
  
Koko wa hi no ataranai basho  
hitorikiri de naku toki no himitsu no basho  
sakebu youni namae yobunda  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no michi  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no hikari  
kimi ga iru kara, kimi sae ireba   
  
Note2: Next chapter! Original character time! A big shock and the puzzle of the island begins to be solved! A bit more at Taisuke's expense, can you blame him for staring at Suu? Btw, at this point Suu would look like, and now be dressed like, her adult self that first appears in Episode 10. And if nobody has figured this out then I'll let you know. Everyone is now three years older then they were at the start of the show. 


	6. Episode 6

Note: Ok. Just a bit of a note to everyone. Taisuke is my creation, as is the rest of his family. I am now introducing another original character into the mix, but this one is a product of a friend of mine. This chapter is dedicated to you Cesar, for being a pervert and a goofy idiot. And of course for assisting me in the makings of most of the fights, otherwise they wouldn't have turned out as they did.   
  
The island was quiet except for the ocassional chirp of a bird. Hinatasou stood out plainly even in the darkness. And something was about to happen at Hinatasou. So much would happen to them. But the first thing would be..."Huh? Who's that?"   
  
(Enter opening theme)  
  
Yane no ue de sora o aogu, hizashi wa uraraka  
miageru sora, karadajuu genki ga minagitteku  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, akirameru da nante  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Uruwashi no yawaraka na hada, imada te wa todokazu  
me o tojireba fukuramu IMEEJI, miwaku no kajitsu  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, sono saki o mitai   
  
Dotou no hibi wa tsuzuku, doko made mo  
tengoku to jigoku, yukitsumodoritsu  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
hashire hashire, ai o te nisuru made  
sore de kurushimunara nozomu tokoro  
shukufuku no toki ga kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Te o nobashite, ryoute agete!  
  
(End Theme Song)  
  
Episode 6: Old Aquaintence, Man with the Monkey!  
  
Day 10  
  
The wind was blowing harshly in the sweat soaked jungle that surrounded Hinatasou. Taisuke held the boken steady in front of him his senses extended past their limits searching for a hint of something. His heart thundered in his chest and sweat made his hair stick to his scalp. There was a faint wooshing sound as someone moved at incredible speed, jumping through the trees. He closed his eyes and let all his senses die down except for his hearing and his ki sense. Then he knew. Swinging the boken around he shouted, "RyuuDengeki!" A golden thing of electricity shrieked through the air and crashed into a tree. Upon impact the tree exploded.   
  
Motoko came zipping from the trees and swung her boken down shouting, "Zankuusen!" Taisuke rolled out of the way letting the wind attack wizz by him and crash into a tree. The tree was split in half. Taisuke raised his boken instinctively and blocked Motoko's downwards swing. She leapt backwards and Taisuke followed his boken flashing in the morning sun. The clacking of their sticks against each other drowned all the other sounds of the morning. They stopped with blades crossed and stared into each other's eyes looking for some weakness. But there wasn't any. So they settled to pushing at each other's blades with all their strength and ki. Taisuke's eyes widened as Motoko threw every last ounce of ki she had into a final push and shoved straight through his defenses, even when he put all his ki into it. The wooden sword slashed across his chest and sent him flying backwards.   
  
He struck a tree with his back and felt a flash of pain as his body broke the tree. He hit the ground beyond and slid, bouncing head over heels, until he came to rest about 10 meters away from where he had started. Motoko dropped to her knees gasping for breath. Taisuke painfully sat up and held his hand to his chest. It was throbbing and had a red stripe down it from the blow. Grabbing onto a vine he started to struggle to his feet until a hand reached out to help him up. Gratefully he took the hand and stood. Keitaro nodded and smiled. "That was amazing. I've never seen anyone but Seta-san compete with Motoko-chan like that."   
  
Taisuke accepted the complinent and walked with Keitaro to Motoko. They helped her stand and the two martial artists bowed to each other. It had been a perfect match. Without another word they bowed to each other and then walked off in opposite directions. Keitaro headed after Motoko and when he caught up to her Taisuke noticed they seemed to be having some kind of argument. She shook her head vehemently after awhile and then turned to leave. He grabbed at her shoulder to make her stop, slipped on a pile of leaves, and pulled her priestess clothing down off her shoulders. She turned and gave him a good strike with her ki. With a pop Keitaro was skyhigh. Taisuke followed Keitaro's flight path and wondered how that had happened. He didn't think Motoko had enough ki left to do another Zankuusen. "Probably just her anger pumping her ki levels up."   
  
He turned around and stopped with a shocked expression on his face. The dark haired Kanako, Keitaro's adopted sister, stood there holding his shirt out to him. He bowed and murmered, "Domo." He slung it over his shoulder knowing better then to put his shirt on while he was sweating. Kanako eyed him up and down making him blush and then stroked the large-eared cat, Kuro-chan, who sat on her shoulder. The cold expressionless look on her face was spooky, but didn't seem to detract from her looks at all. In fact she looked rather like Motoko.   
  
And then she smiled. He had only seen one thing that frightning in his entire life, a life that included battles with various freaks and even a couple of demons and spirits. The only thing he had seen match her smile was a smile just like it. His middle brother's. Whenever he moved in to finish someone or something off he gave that smile. And if you saw it you knew that you had already lost. The moment she smiled he couldn't even think about her looks. He was snapped out of his wandering thoughts when she spoke. "I witnessed your match with Motoko-san. I was impressed with your fighting abilities." She bowed briefly and then her smile faded.  
  
"I request a match with you once you have regained your ki." Taisuke was surprised enough that he said 'yes' without thinking. They bowed to each other and then she turned to go speak with Motoko. He walked off to the house to take a hot bath and rest up for his next match. The whole while he had the strangest feeling that someone was watching him. He shuddered and closed the door behind him.   
  
Motoko sighed and nodded her greeting to Kanako. "It is not right for a woman to look at a man like that. It's improper. Especially one who is 17."   
  
Kanako shook her head and sat down beside the Kendo girl. "Motoko-san. He is two years younger then us. It is not improper to look at a man, especially when they look like that, and with the shirt off too. Don't tell me you did not look?"  
  
The blush that crept across the kendo girl's cheeks said all. But she shook her head fiercly in denial. "It isn't proper! It is perverted, the same as a man looking at a woman shirtless!"   
  
Kanako laughed slightly, one of the few times she ever did. "It is not the same, they go around shirtless all the time, women do not. Do not ask me why it is so, it simply is. And that is why it is not improper to look." Feeling that the issue was solved Kanako took up the next subject.   
  
"What are your impressions of him?"   
  
Motoko closed her eyes as if in thought and then opened them and spoke. "He has great skill and is agile, he uses his ki to increase his agility and speed to an extent I have not seen anyone else use before, it makes him dangerous, but his ki is in general not up to par with mine or yours. His skill is what makes up for that lack."   
  
(Fade to Men's Bath)  
  
Taisuke sat luxuriating in the bath and letting his muscles loosen up. He was almost ready for his match with Kanako. And he was planning already. He'd have to take her out fast or her superior ki would leave him at a disadvantage. He'd have to give it everything as soon off as he could, or she'd defeat him as Motoko had. A smile crossed his face that if he had seen it would have reminded him of the one he had feared earlier.  
  
(Fade to outside of Hinatasou)  
  
Kitsune raised a bottle of sake and called, "Go...whoever! Party for condolence and party for victor!" She giggled and poured herself another cup. Motoko shook her head in disgust as she sat their crosslegged awaiting the match. It would be interesting to see those two fight. Naru and Keitaro sat side by side each one worried about both fighters and excited about what would happen, Naru more excited then Keitaro. Shinobu sat off to the side near Mutsumi and Sara and looked a bit nervous. It wasn't clear who she was nervous for or if it was for both. Kaolla sat up on the roof and watched carefully.   
  
Taisuke tossed his shirt to the side uncaring, or at least so he said to himself, of those watching. He had to stick to his plan.   
  
Kanako watched her opponent eagerly. This would be an interesting fight, but she would stick to her plan and finish him off as quickly as possible.   
  
Kanako stands across from Taisuke in a stance as does Taisuke. Kuro-chan sits on the sidelines and gets ready to state that the fight has started. What seems like an eternity they stand there waiting for the sign to start.  
  
"FIGHT!" yells Kuro-chan as she jumps into the air and falls behind the log she was just sitting on. She gets back up with a sweat drop on her forehead.  
  
Kanako and Tai-chan go at it throwing punches and kicks at each other as the others watch eagerly, especially Kuro-chan. Kanako flips into a tree as Taisuke gives chase.  
  
"Damn, he's faster than I thought!" Kanako whispered to herself.  
  
Tai-chan threw a punch at her with full force as she blocked it and proceeded up the tree, with Taisuke right behind her. Then, like a flying squirrel, Kanako jumps to the tree next to them. She lands gracefully on the branch. There was a gust of wind as a branch almost fell on top of Kuro-chan. Kuro-chan made it out of the way in time, but barely. Taisuke jumped off of the branch as Kanako did the same. They both did high kicks that looked like something out of a movie. They both land on opposite sides of the battlefield. They stand there for a second.   
  
Suddenly both collapse and hit the ground face first. The crowd gets up excited and rushes over. They help the fallen two up and each bows to the other. Respectfully. Taisuke smiled and Kanako mirrored it with her own frightning smile. "A tie. We will have to do this again." Taisuke nodded his head in acceptance and watched Kanako walk back to the house.   
  
"Tai! I challenge you!" Taisuke blushes briefly as he sees Kaolla leap from the rooftop and down to the ground before him. Being above someone while wearing a skirt was not a good idea. Taisuke didn't understand why she effected him more now then she had wearing her school-girl outfit which barely covered her legs at all, even when she sat on his shoulders he hadn't been as effected. Once again he accepted without thinking.   
  
Taisuke stands in the familiar spot from the last fight, somewhat fatigued. Despite his fatigue, Suu stands as energetic as ever fifteen feet away from him. Taisuke slides into a fighitng stance and Kaolla stands there smiling as Naru stands in front of the group of onlookers and puts her hands up. Taisuke wipes the sweat from his forehead as Kaolla keeps on grining, with her dulcimer in hand.   
  
"FIGHT!" Naru throws her hands down and backs up somewhat so she doesn't get hurt.  
  
Kaolla strums a few chords on her dulcimer and Taisuke smiles. A lovely sound from a lovely...focus Taisuke focus! He mentally upbraids himself for such a stupid mistake. Kaolla closes he eyes and sways back and forth to the tune...Taisuke eventually noticed he was swaying as well and stopped. She smiles, opens her eyes, and says, "Lovely Tama Tama Attack!" Tama-chan flys up and myus, then multiplies into dozens of flying turtles. Taisuek gasps and ducks out of the way of the first wave. He dodges and swings onto a tree branch as several of the turtles hit the branch. The branch goes flying into Keitaro's face and he falls down, dazed. Taisuke dodges turtle after turlte, but slowly starts to loose his pace.  
  
"Damn! I can't seem to concentrate with her as my opponent! Hell I can't seem to concentrate all that well whenever she's around!" Taisuke makes it to the top branch of the tree as Suu slowly makes her way up.   
  
Taisuke then grabs a nearby branch and swings away from his previous spot. He dodges the last of the turtles and rushes in fists flying in an attempt to land a blow. Suu puts an even bigger grin on her face. Taisuke falters and she manages to dodge his uncoordinated attacks. She jumps backwards to get some room and keeps on playing her dulcimer. Taisuke shakes his head to clear his mind. "Does she have to wear that little pink thing?" She hums a few bars and Tama-chan flys up to her and curls up in front of her. She then hits Tama-chan with all of her strength as if she were a baseball getting hit by a baseball bat. Caught with his mind off the battle once again the propelled Tama-chan knocks Taisuke across the ground into a tree. Taisuke then bounces off of the tree and hits Keitaro as he was just getting back up.   
  
Taisuke groans as he lifts his head and tries to rise. He finds himself face to face with Suu who was grinning from ear to ear. She leaned in close and pecked him on the cheek. "Condolence prize." She smiled and then walked off. Taisuke just watched her go not even noticing his hand rise to his cheek. She definetely effected him. And the others seemed to think it was really funny.   
  
In the woods something was watching. Or rather two somethings. And things were just starting to get interesting.   
  
(Fade to elsewhere in the jungle)  
  
A lithe form darts from tree to tree, body a blur of motion. Silent except for the wooshing of air about it, the figure makes its way towards the speck that was getting larger and larger every moment. The dot just happened to be Hinatasou.   
  
The figure reached a wall and skidded to a halt. The figure had an olive complexion and seemed fairly tall. The figure's dark hair was slightly poofy and he wore a simple robe with a bowl hat on his head. Shockingly a small spider monkey sat upon his shoulder dressed identically. A boken hung from the man's waist. The man stares up at the wall and then bends his knees. In one graceful leap he shoots right up over the wall and then hangs there suspended in mid-air for a moment, with the suns rays shining down on him as to conceal his face from any watchers.   
  
He comes down gracefully with a splash. He stands there for a moment and starts to walk away from the water, completely ignoring the fact that his robe was now wet at the bottom. And of course he didn't notice those who stood behind him glaring at his back in anger. He just walks on into the inn and slides the door shut after him.   
  
He doesn't notice the scrambling as of people hurriedly getting clothing on as he walks through the hall looking around. He stops at the door titled 'Kanrinin' and raises his hand to knock. "HENTAI!" The man whirls around to find a wet but clothed Motoko holding her sword at the ready. Naru wasn't far behind her, fist shaking in rage. Kanako showed up a moment later wrapped only in a towel, Kuro-chan took one look at the spider monkey and hissed. The man's obvious stares at Kanako's near nakedness earn him her most withering glare, and a few choice words to Motoko. "Kick this Hentai's ass."   
  
The man's and the monkey's eyes widen as Motoko readies a Zankuusen. Kuro-chan tries to claw the monkey but only to miss.  
  
"Stay still!" yells the cat as the monkey keeps on dodging and climbing.  
  
"Why should I?" replies the monkey, as he continues to nearly get hit by Kuro-chan's claws.  
  
"So I can slice you up!" the cat's fury grows as the monkey continues to become an annoyance with his dodging  
  
Naru blinks questioningly..."Why do they both talk? I don't understand..."  
  
Keitaro exits his room at this point just in time for it to really begin. Waving his arms to stop them he shouted, "Stop this! This isn't the time or place to do this! Not inside!" It was too late though, Motoko had already released a Zankuusen which zipped right by Keitaro towards the man. The man pulls out a boken and deflects the Zankuusen. The women watched in amazement as it dissipates after he is pushed backwards a few feet.  
  
"Beauty and Brawn!" wittingly states the man with a grin on his face. Motoko's face turns red, but it wasn't a flush of embarrasment, or at least not so much. It was more of...anger.   
  
"You have made a fatal error! I will punish you!" Motoko screams while charging at the man. The man fights her with a boken as the monkey and cat continue to fight. Keitaro unforunately got the bad end of the fight. Noone can truly describe the utter terror that comes from being stuck in the middle of two martial artists trying to kill each other from both sides of you. The wooden swords darted in, out, and around Keitaro clacking against each other. Keitaro's only response was a constant scream. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Kuro-chan gave chase and after the monkey got a kick or two in she clawed him and he landed in front of Naru. Naru looked down and kicked him up to chest height and punched him into orbit. Motoko continued to lunge at the man, but he seemed to be able to match her stride for stride...at least so far. All of a sudden there was a rip as everything froze. The two stood still as they all stared at the wet priestess shirt that was on the man's boken, it was Motoko's. Motoko's fury grew and the man was suddenly quite afraid.  
  
"………gomen?" stated the man.   
  
Motoko swung her boken down and screamed, "Zankuusen!" Keitaro wailed as it flew by him and smashed into the man. The telekenetic force sent him richoteing from wall to wall. His bouncing took him towards Naru. Motoko grabbed her shirt that lay on the ground with the man's boken and pulled it on as fast as she could. Of course by the time the man reached the girl with the antennae and the bad temper. "HENTAI!" Naru's winning punch caught the man right in the face and sent him spiraling through the roof and up into orbit.   
  
Keitaro sagged to his knees in relief. "Nothing happened. I'm...I'm okay! I'M OKAY! YES! This must be a new trend! I won't be getting beaten up anymore! Oh no! Now I'm safe! All that and nothing! Okay! The new safer Keita-gah!" Keitaro tumbled into the wall as Taisuke barreled him over on his way up the stairs. He glanced around and looked up through the hole. He ran a hand through his hair wondering what had happened and then leaned down and poked Keitaro.   
  
Keitaro painfully lifts his head up just to have it smashed into the floor again by Sara who chose that time to jump the last few steps. Again he lifts his head looking dizzy and in pain. "Nani?"   
  
"Gah isn't a word." Everyone face-faulted and collapsed in shock. He rises once more and then turns to the women.  
  
"Say...who was that?"   
  
Motoko shakes her head in disgust and Naru just seems to be calming down. So Kanako took the chance to say her word. "Just some hentai with a spider-monkey who showed up. He actually put up a decent fight against Motoko."   
  
This time it was Taisuke who face-faulted, but he managed to catch himself on the railing before he fell. "A spider-monkey?" The women nod and his eyes widen even further. He stares up at the hole in disbelief and then shakes his head and sits down.   
  
"What are you doing here Sesaru?"  
  
(End theme)  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
yoake no hikari sosogu ka no chi wa doko?  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
Honojiroi sono hohoemi, douka sawarasete  
  
Koko wa hi no ataranai basho  
hitorikiri de naku toki no himitsu no basho  
sakebu youni namae yobunda  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no michi  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no hikari  
kimi ga iru kara, kimi sae ireba   
  
Note: Next chapter, find out just who Sesaru is and what he has to do with Taisuke! And maybe a bit more fun and a few more hintings as to the watcher. Since I didn't really include Seta or Haruka in this chapter I intend to include them more in the next one. Sorry that took so long! Have fun reading! 


	7. Episode 7

Note: The final decision has been made! Bwahahaha! I have decided to have 25 episodes and 3 OAVs to finish this series! That is all, now back to your regularly scheduled program.  
  
An olive-skinned man trudged painfully through the jungle his arms hanging limp as he pulled his legs up from the mud and down ago. It was a slow march that was punctuating by the biting bugs and other things that continued to harass the depressed young man. "*Sigh*, Why must I go through all of this?" Knowing he would get no answer the man continues he dull march towards his goal.   
  
But deep within the night something was watching and listening. "You must go through all that you must...but even your presence here cannot impede my goal, it may in fact qui..." The voice trailed off as a loud scream echoed through the night and a man-sized form went sailing through the air right out of the inn. The voice let out a loud sigh of its own.  
  
(Enter opening theme)  
  
Yane no ue de sora o aogu, hizashi wa uraraka  
miageru sora, karadajuu genki ga minagitteku  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, akirameru da nante  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Uruwashi no yawaraka na hada, imada te wa todokazu  
me o tojireba fukuramu IMEEJI, miwaku no kajitsu  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, sono saki o mitai   
  
Dotou no hibi wa tsuzuku, doko made mo  
tengoku to jigoku, yukitsumodoritsu  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
hashire hashire, ai o te nisuru made  
sore de kurushimunara nozomu tokoro  
shukufuku no toki ga kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Te o nobashite, ryoute agete!  
  
(End Theme Song)  
  
Episode 7: Conviction? Sesaru's Trail!  
  
Day 11  
  
"All rise for the honorable Judge Urashima Keitaro!" The word honorable was followed by a few snickers and a glare from Motoko who had been the one speaking. Her glares quieted things down as Keitaro walked out of the kitchen looking dismal wearing long black robes and a white wig. The snickers rise again when he is seen but these are also quelled by Motoko.   
  
"Do I really have to wear this stuff?"   
  
Kitsune grinned wickedly and nodded her head a few times. "Hai hai hai. Now get on with it."   
  
Keitaro sighed and took his seat. Motioning to Motoko he said, "Balif."   
  
Motoko motioned with her boken for everyone to be seated. And of course everyone did as they were supposed to. Keitaro was about to speak when suddenly Kaolla skidded out in front of his podium, which they had dragged down from storage, and grinned.   
  
Wearing her now normal ensemble Kaolla held up a giant card. Upon it was written words, it said.   
  
JUDGE-URASHIMA KEITARO  
PROSECUTORS-KISTUNE(KONNO MITSUNE), KAOLLA SUU  
DEFENSE-MAEHARA SHINOBU, SHUTAIRO TAISUKE  
BALIF-TAMA  
ASSISTANT BALIF- AOYOMA MOTOKO  
JURY-URASHIMA NARU, OTOHIME MUTSUMI, URASHIMA HARUKA, NORIYASU SETA, SARA MACDOUGAL, URASHIMA KANAKO  
DEFENDENT-TETSUYA SESARU  
  
"Eh? Why is Tama-chan the balif?" Naru blinked and everyone else glared at Kaolla who just chuckled and scratched out Tama and replaced it with Motoko's name. She placed Tama down as assistant balif. The little turtle flew up and sat on her head with a little smile on its face and said, "Myu!" With great pleasure and having such a high position...at least a high one for a flying spring turtle.  
  
Keitaro cleared his throat and everyone hushed...after Motoko threatened them with a glare. "We are gathered here today for the hearing of the case of Sesaru versus the Tenants of Hinatasou. Let us commence. Prosecution...you may take the floor."   
  
Kitsune grinned that foxy grin of hers and rose to her feet and walked out in front of everyone rubbing her chin in thought. "I call Tetsuya Sesaru to the stand." Sesaru rose, his brief grumbling silenced by Motoko, and took his seat next to Keitaro.   
  
"I solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God."   
  
Kaolla jumped up on the couch and pointed a finger at him. In a triumphant tone she cried, "AHA! A lie first thing! Take him away!"   
  
Keitaro sighed and glanced at Motoko who managed to get Kaolla to sit by applying only a bit of threat. "You're badgering the witness."   
  
"Can I eat the badger?"   
  
Everyone fell over with sweat-drops forming at their brows. With a dignified clearing of his throat Keitaro got back into his chair and motioned for Kitsune to continue.   
  
"Where were you yesterday around 4:15 P.M.?"   
  
Sesaru titled his head in thought and scratched his head. "Hmmm...*noodles*...*mosqitos*...*mud*...*mosqitos*........."  
  
Everyone stared blankly at Sesaru as he gazed up at the ceiling, a cloud floated above his head containing images of him eating noodles, being bitten up by mosqitos, squelching through mud, and being bitten by mosqitos. Finally he waved it away from his head and a light-bulb seemed to flash in his brain as he got the answer.   
  
"I was here! I had just gotten here and was coming through the hot-springs to find Taisuke."   
  
Kitsune whirled to the jury box, the largest couch, and raised one hand with pointer finger extended. "You see. The defendent admits to having entered the hot-spring area without premission, thereby tresspassing Hinatasou private grounds."   
  
Sesaru started up from his seat, "But I was just trying to see my friend!"   
  
Motoko's barred blade was pressed against his jugular vein in less then a split second. "You will be seated or you will be punished."   
  
Sesaru gulped, nodded, and finally sat down staring at everything but Motoko until she removed the blade. The jury seemed rather convinced. But Kitsune wasn't done yet...not quite.   
  
"You say you were here to see your friend, Taisuke you claim, but in actuality you came to see something else. You got an eyefull alright...would you mind telling the jury what you got an eyefull of?"   
  
Sesaru glanced around at those who had been present and looked nervous. He stared up at the ceiling again and started to think. "Hmm....*noodles*...*mosqitos*...*mud*...*tree*...*tree*.........."   
  
Naru shook her head and started shouting. "AT THE HOT SPRINGS YOU BAKA!"   
  
Sesaru looked shocked, Keitaro motioned for Naru to sit, and Sesaru once again returned to his thoughts.   
  
"Hmm...*cloud*...*steam*...*water*...*door*...*brea...brea...*........." Sesaru reached one arm up to remove the thought cloud before the image could fully form and with the other he plugged his nose which had begun leaking blood.   
  
"Well?" Sesaru gulped again and seemed to be trying to climb over the back of his chair without really doing so.   
  
"Umm...I saw Motoko..."  
  
"In what way did you see Motoko?"  
  
"Hmm...*thigh*...*calf*...*breast*...*pelv...pelv...*........." Sesaru's hand was forced from his nose as a huge wave of blood burst forth from it. It knocked him over his chair. Motoko looked ready to kill as she raised her blade and brought it down shouting, "ZANKUUSEN!"   
  
"AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" With a lod POP Sesaru went hurtling into the air and away from Hinatasou.  
  
(35 minutes later)  
  
Keitaro shook his head as he looked away from Sesaru who sat in his defendent's chair with a large bandage wound around his head. A big lump showed on the side of his cheek where Naru had felt it necessary to give him an added boost right before he landed.   
  
"Defense...you may take the floor."   
  
Kitsune bonked Kaolla on the head who had been busy trying to pry up the floor boards. Taisuke rose from his seat and approached the bench. He turned around and nodded once. "I call Noriyasu Seta to the stands."   
  
Seta was sworn in and the questioning began. "Seta-san...do you know Sesaru?"  
  
Seta nodded once and spoke. "Hai. I know him from the time he spent at the Shutairo Dojo."  
  
Taisuke nodded and glanced at the jury. "What did you think of him?"  
  
Seta was looking more thoughtful as he considered this question. "He was an avid learner, he truly desired to be a suberb martial artist and though he lacked the years of experience that were necessary he did however possess the desire, and previous training in Jeet Kune Do, to make an excellent martial artist. He was slightly spacy(Sesaru gets hit by a pot and bends his knees slightly), not too bright(a large statue crashes into his back dropping him farther to the floor), and somewhat of a pervert(A baby whale strikes his back and he collapses immediately). But he is a kind and generous person who will always stick by his friends."   
  
Sesaru finally manages to rise to his feet and get back into his chair. Taisuke nods once to the jury, and then motions for Seta to return to his place amongst the jury box. "I call Tetsuya Sesaru to the stands."   
  
Sesaru makes his way and is dutifully sworn in again. Before someone told him he didn't have to do so the second time. "Sesaru...how do you come to be at Hinatasou?"   
  
Sesaru gazes up at the ceiling and starts thinking. "Hmm...*badmitten*...*training*...*hole*...*walking*......I've got it!"  
  
Everyone collapses. "I was playing badmitten, then I went and did some training, then I fell through a hole and ended up in the middle of a jungle. Then I sensed your ki, so then I started making my way through the forest to find you."   
  
Taisuke ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "So you had no knowledge of the presence of Hinatasou on this island?"  
  
Sesaru shook his head. "You had no intention of spying on any women and were not aware that there even was a hot-spring there until you landed in it?"   
  
Sesaru nodded at both statements. "Hai. I just came rushing in because I figured that since you were here I could apologize for my actions the last time I saw you."   
  
Taisuke shook his hands and chuckled. "No need for that friend. Alright then, I call the next witness, Shutario Taisuke."   
  
Sesaru returned to his seat and Taisuke replaced him next to Keitaro. Shinobu rose and humbly walked up to the stands. "Excuse me...but how well do you know Sesaru?"   
  
Taisuke smiled. "It's a very long story, one that we don't really have to get in to, but the short of it is that he was accepted into training at my family's dojo so he trained alongside me for about four years."   
  
Shinobu smiled and slowly bowed her head. "And...and what did you think of him as a person?"   
  
Taisuke scrubbed a hand through his hair and grinned. "Sesaru was always a good friend, he'd argue with you about only the most trivial things, things that wouldn't really hurt a friendship, but whenever I was in need of help or just a friend to be there he would always lend a hand, or some advice. At times I felt he was part of the family, except he treated me more as just another person then my family ever did. In fact if it weren't for him, at least somewhat, I wouldn't be here today defending him in this ludicrous trial."   
  
Kitsune sat up immediately. "The witness has no right to criticize this case!"   
  
"AND WHY NOT?"   
  
"BECAUSE I SAID SO!"  
  
"THAT ISN'T A GOOD REASON!"  
  
"FEH! OF COURSE IT IS!"  
  
"FEH IS NOT A WORD! AND NO IT ISN'T A GOOD REASON!"  
  
"DON'T LECTURE ME ABOUT WHAT A WORD IS! AND DON'T TRY TO TELL ME WHAT A GOOD REASON AND WHAT A BAD REASON IS! I'M RIGHT AND THAT'S ALL THERE IS TOO IT!"  
  
"ZANKUUSEN!"   
  
"AHHHH!!!!!" "AHHHH!!!!!" Taisuke and Kitsune went flying.   
  
(20 minutes later)  
  
"Has the jury reached a verdict?"  
  
Haruka glanced at the others and when they nodded she stood and took the cigarrette from between her lips. "Guilty."   
  
"Then as the power invested in me, as Kanrinin of Hinatasou All-girls dormitory I sentence you, Tetsuya Sesaru, to all the duties that would normally layed up any other tenant for a period of up to and no less then 30 days, and fifty marks of capital punishment served by the balif, and in return you will be allowed to stay at Hinatasou until further notice. This court is adjorned."   
  
Everyone got up and started filing out. Kitsune vanished for a moment and then reappeared just as quickly. She thrust two things at Sesaru and grinned at him devilishly. Sesaru gazed down at what he now held in his hands.   
  
"Hmm...*bucket*...*mop*...*boken*......ahhhhhh!!!!!!!"   
  
Motoko's zankuusen hit him hard and he went flying again, bucket and mop clattering to the floor.   
  
"YOU CAN DO THAT WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED WITH ME! THAT'S ONE!"   
  
As he hurtled through the sky Sesaru threw back his head and wailed, "THIS IS GOING TO BE A VERY LONG DAY!"   
  
Mutsumi watched Sesaru turn into a speck in the sky and smiled that vain and stupid smile that she always does. "Ara...*kotatsu*...*watermelons*...*hot-springs*........."   
  
(End theme)  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
yoake no hikari sosogu ka no chi wa doko?  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
Honojiroi sono hohoemi, douka sawarasete  
  
Koko wa hi no ataranai basho  
hitorikiri de naku toki no himitsu no basho  
sakebu youni namae yobunda  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no michi  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no hikari  
kimi ga iru kara, kimi sae ireba   
  
Note2: Next chapter we've got even more antics...but for real this time we've got more secrets revealed or at least starting to be revealed. And for once somebody puts Seta and Haruka in the spotlight! At least for one episode that is. Only four and a half more episodes left in this mini-saga of Love Hina: Welcome to Hinatasou. (Waggles eyebrows at everyone) See you all there! 


	8. Episode 8

A fog has slowly settled across the island. Something is starting. Something dangerous...something mysterious. A watcher in the night throws his head back and laughs to the sky above. "Oh yes....soon the first will be taken. And everything for them will begin to unravel...and I will have victory. Let the games begin!" A flock of birds scatters from the trees as the voice fades out.   
  
(Enter opening theme)  
  
Yane no ue de sora o aogu, hizashi wa uraraka  
miageru sora, karadajuu genki ga minagitteku  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, akirameru da nante  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Uruwashi no yawaraka na hada, imada te wa todokazu  
me o tojireba fukuramu IMEEJI, miwaku no kajitsu  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, sono saki o mitai   
  
Dotou no hibi wa tsuzuku, doko made mo  
tengoku to jigoku, yukitsumodoritsu  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
hashire hashire, ai o te nisuru made  
sore de kurushimunara nozomu tokoro  
shukufuku no toki ga kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Te o nobashite, ryoute agete!  
  
(End Theme Song)  
  
Episode 8: Mysteries of the Island  
  
Day 12  
  
"Zankuusen!"   
  
POP!  
  
"AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" Sesaru went sailing through the air and at the top of his arc starting cursing violently. Then his screams started up again as he spiraled down towards the ground.   
  
"AT LEAST THAT WAS 50!"  
  
Motoko smirks and straightens her legs and holds her blade so that the point was facing down to the ground. "Actually that was 48 Sesaru no Baka."  
  
"WHY IS IT ONLY ME?"  
  
CRASH!  
  
(Fade out to hot-springs)  
  
Kitsune sighed as she sunk down into the heated water. A wonderful feeling, the warmth of the water and the steam all around was relaxing to the muscles and to the mind. The only thing more relaxing was sake...speaking of which. "Ha-cha! Heeheeehee! Sake and hot-springs are the best mix ever."   
  
Kitsune giggles as she pulls a bottle of sake and a cup from behind her and pours some into the cup. Definetely the best way to relax. It was time to get really drunk!  
  
(Fade out to outside)  
  
"ZANKUUSEN!"  
  
POP!  
  
"WHY? AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Sesaru goes spinning through the misty air of the morning. Motoko calmly sheaths her blade and turns to walk away. But once again at the apex of his flight Sesaru managed to get another word out.  
  
"THE LAST TIME WAS 50!"   
  
Motoko blinks a few times and then shrugs her shoulders. "So it was. So it was." Smiling smugly she closes the door behind her and heads for a nice relaxing dip in the hotsprings.  
  
Putting his chin in his palm Sesaru crosses his legs in mid-flight and nods a few times. "Yep. She definetely doesn't like me. But I wonder about that Kanako girl. Hmm...*cat*...*kanako*...*ground*...*ground?* AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" THUMP!   
  
(Fade out to the other side of Hinatasou)  
  
A spinning roundhouse goes over Kanako's head as the younger boy attacks relentleslly using his superior speed and agility to his advantage. Kanako dodges for all she's worth dancing backwards always on guard and on the balls of her feet. Snapping a fist out at full speed she grunts as Taisuke ducks the wild strike and drops to his hands and knees sweeping his foot around. His leg catches the base of her feet and knocks her legs out from under her. With a minor squeek, she'd never admit it was a squeek to anyone but herself, she hits the ground on her butt. But she recovers and kips up to her feet in time to avoid Taisuke's next attack.  
  
Taisuke lets out a shout as he comes in for one last pass. Kanako seeing what he wanted to do speeds up and heads straight for him. One last exchange of fists and feet between the two, where every move would be as fast and as hard hitting as possible, every motion an attempt to grasp victory like a bull by the horns. Knowing the joy of the fight Kanako smiles inside and takes the last several feet in one leap. Taisuke follows suit.   
  
"Tai-kun! WEEEEE!!!!!!" A flaring of skirts and a rush of wind was all that there was to announce Kaolla's presence as she rushed out of the fog and towards Taisuke. Not being able to change his motion in mid-jump he is only able to grunt as Kaolla come slamming into him and drives him to the ground. Kaolla sits there grinning on his back as he gets a mouthfull of dirt. Now Kanako might have laughed. Might. If she hadn't been sent sailing straight over both of their heads by her momentum and right into a tree.   
  
Grunting she rebounded and staggered backwards until she fell to her back gasping for air and staring up at the sky above. Everything was kind of foggy...and not just from the fog itself but...Kanako's eyes roll back into her head as she loses conciousness.   
  
Kaolla giggles as she flips Taisuke over and finds his eyes whirling about in dizziness. He was out cold. Giggling even hard she grabbed him and then Kanako by the heel and dragged them back into the inn to their prespective rooms. Shinobu blinked a few times at seeing Kaolla walk by the kitchen dragging Taisuke and Kanako along behind her. Very strange indeed.   
  
(Fade out to Taisuke's room)  
  
Shinobu sighed and layed the warm wet cloth on the older boy's forehead. Kanako was already in her room still unconcious and being tended to by Mutsumi. Sitting against the far wall of the room was Kaolla who had her legs drawn up to her chest and her head resting on her knees. Her arms were wrapped around her legs as she watched Shinobu work. "Kaolla, you should know better then to just rush in on the middle of a match. Motoko has told you that many times before." She shook her head and pulled the covers up to his chin and sat back to see if he was alright and to listen to Kaolla.  
  
Kaolla did her best at nodded while her chin was on her knees like that. The green skirt that rested in ruffles about her legs was slightly damp from the fog that had engulfed the island and was clinging to her legs a bit. More then was comfortable. "I know...but I wanted to go see the rest of the island and wanted him to come along. Sara has been behaving as Sesaru's task master and having fun at it, but I'm not in the mood for that. And Keitaro and Naru haven't been out of their room since last night."  
  
Shinobu's cheeks turned pink at the mention of the married couple. She pretended not to know what married couples did alone in their rooms and simply tried to convince herself that all they did was talk. Shaking her head to clear a forming image she focused again on the present issue.  
  
"As long as you don't do it again everything is fine...but can't you figure out any way of greeting someone that doesn't involve jumping on them or tackling them?"   
  
Kaolla giggled a bit at that. "But it's so fun. There's no point in just saying hello, they get the message better when you greet them happily."   
  
Shinobu shook her head vehemntly. "N...not true. Greeting them like that is like trying to injure them, it shows that your hyper, which is always true, but it also shows that you have no regard for 'their' feelings."  
  
Kaolla turned her head to the side so she could look directly at her friend. "What do you mean?"  
  
"By acting like that you show no regard for what they want. Keitaro doesn't enjoy being kicked, blown up, or stomped on whenever you go by, Shirai and Haitani probably don't like being blown up by your experiments and toyed with, Kentaro is afraid to come near you because every time he does he ends up being mauled in some way, and Taisuke definetely doesn't like getting his head shoved into the ground."   
  
A thoughtful looked reigned on Kaolla's face as she looked back at Taisuke. She looked like she was struggling with something. In the end she just let her head rest back on her knees and sat watching the boy...man. Shinobu got up and sat next to her in a similar position both watching the new face that had changed things at Hinatasou. Was it for better? Or for worse?   
  
(Meanwhile)  
  
"Oh Naru..."  
  
"Keitaro..."  
  
"I can't feel my legs."  
  
*Giggle*  
  
(Ermm...elsewhere)  
  
"Ahh...this is quite a place. Obviously part of the reason our anonymous tipper pointed us to this island."  
  
"Are you saying you came here because someone you have never met and know nothing about suggested you should come?"  
  
"Hai. Is that a problem?"  
  
Haruka shook her head and took a puff of her cigarette. "You haven't changed a bit Seta. Not at all."  
  
Seta smiled lightly and pushed aside a branch for Haruka to walk on by. Walking after her he continued smiling as their search of the island continued. "Is that such a bad thing? You used to like how I am."  
  
Haruka bonked Seta on the head and then returned to walking. "Is that how it used to be? I don't remember."  
  
Seta shook his head still smiling. "It wasn't that long back Haruka, we were both~" He was cut off as Haruka once again bashed him on top of the head.   
  
"I know when it was. Stop badgering me or go back."   
  
Still grinning Seta rubbed the top of his skull. "Hai, Haruka-san."   
  
They remained in silence as they continued searching for a little while. But it seemed they weren't making much progress. Finally the two stopped and Haruka looked back the way they had come. "Go back to the inn, I'll return shortly."  
  
Seta nodded. He knew Haruka, and though the expression she wore on her face was no different then her usual one he knew it to be more serious. She wanted him to leave so she could walk and have some time to think about things before coming back to the inn. He also knew that she no longer felt anything for him, and he was uncertain about his own feelings for her and for a certain other woman. Turning about he headed back to Hinatasou.   
  
Haruka smiled slightly seeing that Seta knew when to linger and when to listen. Turning about she resumed her walk wishing for silence for a little while longer. But maybe it was more then that. Something seemed to be drawing her deeper into the heart of the island and making her want Seta away. It was something that drew deep upon something hidden inside of her. A more primitive thing that was usually repressed and was now rising to the surface ever so slowly. But though she understood in a simpler way, she did not seem to care or even question what was happening to her.   
  
It was about ten minutes later that she finally came to a halt. A figure was waiting in the shadows. There was a brief red flash as its eyes glowed, and then the figure stepped out into visibility, through the fog. Haruak gazed at him with what could only be described as longing. The primal thing within her was clearest now. Lust.   
  
Smirking he walked close to her and ran a finger across her jawline. She nearly melted. The man was excruciatingly handsome, with black hair capped at the neck by a leather band, sea green eyes, and simple clothing. Jeans and a white shirt framed his muscular body. He smiled down at her. "Master. What is your will?" She said with a deep seeding of desire in her voice. He began to speak. And by the time he was finished she was sobbing with need to do as he said. By the time she returned to Hinatasou she was her normal self once more. Or so it seemed.   
  
(Fade out to view of Hinatasou)  
  
Sara's voice can be heard. "FASTER HENTAI! KEEP MOVING! NOT LIKE THAT YOU BAKA! YOU MISSED A SPOT! GET BACK HERE AND WIPE THAT DRY!"  
  
There is a sudden crash and a high-pitched scream.   
  
"G...Gomen?"   
  
"SESARU NO BAKA!"   
  
KABOOM!  
  
Sesaru comes whirling out of a Sesaru shaped hole in a wall and into the misty sky. Crossing his legs in a sitting position once more with chin in hand he closes his eyes. "Hmm...I give it an 8 on the brutality level."  
  
(End theme)  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
yoake no hikari sosogu ka no chi wa doko?  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
Honojiroi sono hohoemi, douka sawarasete  
  
Koko wa hi no ataranai basho  
hitorikiri de naku toki no himitsu no basho  
sakebu youni namae yobunda  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no michi  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no hikari  
kimi ga iru kara, kimi sae ireba   
  
Note: Oooo...I bet some people are gonna like this next chapter I've got planned. And others will think I'm having total discharacterization. In response to this I say...each character is 3, count em, 3 years older then they were at the beginning of Love Hina. People can change in three years as can attitudes and feelings. So don't believe anything is totally out of character. In light of this I present the ages of all characters, the only two who's I could not find were Kanako and Seta who I just had to make assumptions about. And because I felt like it, my approximation of how tall they are out of the metric system. And of course some of them are taller then they were before because they grew!  
  
Keitaro: 23, 5'11 1/4''  
Naru: 20, 5'7''  
Kitsune: 23, 5'8 1/3''  
Shinobu: 16, 5'5''  
Suu: 17, 5'8''  
Motoko: 19, 6'  
Mutsumi: 24, 5'8 3/4''  
Taisuke: 17, 5'10  
Sesaru: 19, 6'  
Haruka: 30, 5'10  
Seta: 30, 6'2  
Sara: 11, 4'8  
Tama: 4, 11'' 


	9. Episode 9

"It is all coming together. One has fallen under my grasp and the rest will soon follow. I will have what I want...and I will have my revenge! Mwuahahahahahahaahahahahaha!"   
  
"Very nice evil laugh Master." The man turns and smiles at the woman standing there.   
  
"Domo." Throwing his head back he starts laughing again, and the woman soon joins in.  
  
(Enter opening theme)  
  
Yane no ue de sora o aogu, hizashi wa uraraka  
miageru sora, karadajuu genki ga minagitteku  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, akirameru da nante  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Uruwashi no yawaraka na hada, imada te wa todokazu  
me o tojireba fukuramu IMEEJI, miwaku no kajitsu  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, sono saki o mitai   
  
Dotou no hibi wa tsuzuku, doko made mo  
tengoku to jigoku, yukitsumodoritsu  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
hashire hashire, ai o te nisuru made  
sore de kurushimunara nozomu tokoro  
shukufuku no toki ga kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Te o nobashite, ryoute agete!  
  
(End Theme Song)  
  
Episode 9: Welcome to Paradise  
  
Day 13  
  
A pair of feet hit the grassy floor of the jungle-like area. Dancing along the feet make finally stop at another tree where they vanish from view as the owner jumps. Moments later the feet come back down.   
  
Kaolla grins as she peels the banana and pops it in her mouth eating it in one bite. She downs a few others and starts spinning about. She loops around the tree and when she comes around she is now dressed in her full adult outfit. Still grinning she starts to run out of the room and as she reaches the hallway, she bursts into song.  
  
Mezameta shunkan HAITENSYON ohara ga GU~ GOHAN wa mata?   
huton KEttobashite mado aketara nan de mo ii sakebutaku naru  
  
SUKI na mono SUKI tte ieru notte taisetu ne   
yacchaoo omoikitte  
  
Heat Up Girl! maemuki KYARA sakuretsu-tyuu   
syakunetsu Dream! zinsee wa tsugo yoku   
Heat Up Girl! HAATO atsuku hageshiku moyasoo   
Heat Up Up, Heat Up Up Girl!  
  
Onsen hito huro tenka TAIHENN kami to kashite hikkukutte   
issyokenmee kyoo mo asoboo surimuitara TSUBA tsukrya ii  
  
Tamatta ENERUGII GAMAN wa karada ni warui   
hassan shinakya DAME  
  
Heat Up Girl! yasei no honnoo bakuhatsu-tyuu   
syakunetsu Dream! zinsee wa ichidokiri   
Heat Up Girl! HAATO tsuyoku tanoshiku ikiyoo   
Heat Up Up, Heat Up Up Girl!  
  
Hontoo wa MECHAKUCHA sabishigari ya Heat Up Girl!   
kiai IPPATSU hairanakucha Heat Up Girl!   
kosi ni katate attete gyuuyuu o IKKInomi   
GAANNBAAROO!  
  
Heat Up Girl! maemuki KYARA sakuretsu-tyuu   
syakunetsu Dream! zinsee wa tsugo yoku   
Heat Up Girl! HAATO atsuku hageshiku moyasoo   
Heat Up Up, Heat Up Up Girl!  
  
Heat Up Girl! yasei no honnoo bakuhatsu-tyuu   
syakunetsu Dream! zinsee wa ichidokiri   
Heat Up Girl! HAATO tsuyoku tanoshiku ikiyoo   
Heat Up Up, Heat Up Up Girl!  
  
Taisuke blinks a few times as Kaolla goes spinning past his room singing. He leans into the hallway to watch as she dances all the way to the stairs where she hops on the rail and slides down. "Well that was certainly strange."  
  
He turns and heads up the hall to see what he can learn. Knocking on the door across from Kaolla's he says, "Excuse me, Motoko-san? Is it alright if I enter?"  
  
A muffled voice calls out, "Hai!"   
  
Running a hand through his ruffled hair Taisuke enters the room and closes the door around him. Surprised he stares around in awe at the room. He hadn't been in here before...but it definetely suited her. Motoko was busy sowing a stitch in one of her pairs of gi and had some thread in her mouth, obviously the reason her voice had been muffled. Taisuke stopped in shock just standing there staring at Motoko doing needle work. Motoko lays the needle down and turns to him. "What was it you wanted?"  
  
Without thinking he said, "You can sow?"   
  
Motoko gets an aggravated look on her face and Taisuke's eyes widen. "Wait...umm...gomen...actually I was wondering if you knew why Kaolla was singing."   
  
Motoko calms down and shakes her haid. "Gomen, I don't know to tell the truth. Maybe you should ask Shinobu, they are best friends."   
  
"Hai, arigato." Taisuke bows once and exits the room, if he was going to talk to Shinobu he'd have to go to the kitchen. So he walked back the way he had come, jumped over the railing to the floor below, and walked right into the kitchen.   
  
"Oi, Shinobu. What's up?"   
  
Shinobu turns smiling as always, but for some reason her cheeks turned a bit pink briefly. "Just cooking breakfast. What about you?"  
  
He smiles back and wonders to himself why she never met his eyes, guess she was always a bit nervous. "Eh...well when I finished dressing for the morning I got out of my room and the first thing I saw was Kaolla come dancing by singing. Do you have any idea why she was singing like that?"  
  
Shinobu blushed profusely and cast her eyes to the ground. "Eh...well...that is...eh...eh...maybe she was...happy?"   
  
Scracthing his head Taisuke thinks to himself, 'Just smile and nod, just smile and nod.' So he did just that. Reaching out he put his hand on her shoulder. "Why are you so jumpy Shinobu? Is something wrong?"   
  
Shinobu jerks away and returns to her cooking. "Nothing...just...I have to get back to cooking." Shaking his head in confusment he turns around and heads out of the kitchen, for some reason he thought he heard her giggle a moment later.   
  
Kaolla comes rushing by and heads right into the kitchen. Taisuke turns around to try and ask her and she motions him away. "Girl to girl talk. Kitchen is off limits." With that she turned away and walked right up to Shinobu.   
  
Befuddled Taisuke sits down on the couch near the entrance and clicks the tv on. Static. "Baka. Of course there isn't any reception, we're on an uninhabited island in the middle of nowhere." Sighing out loud he gets up and starts to go outside. He stops partway to the door. He could have sworn he heard Shinobu and Kaolla tittering away in the kitchen. He wondered what they were talking about.   
  
"Well then why don't you go find out?" Taisuke jumps into the air in shock and turns to find Kitsune standing there. He hadn't realized he had voiced his thought.  
  
"Wh...what do you mean by that Kitsune-senpai?"   
  
The fox girl shakes her head and grins mischeviously. "It's just Kitsune. Just sneak over to the kitchen and put your ear close and listen. That way you can know what they are talking about."  
  
Taisuke harumped and crossed his arms turning away. "Hah. I'm not like that. I won't listen in on other peoples converstations."  
  
"Faster baka! Faster! Move that mop! Go go go!" At that very moment Sesaru came trundling by at high speed shoving the mop across the floor swiping as fast as he could. Sara trailed along behind him shouting at him to do it better or do it first, or telling him when he missed a spot.   
  
Taisuke and Kitsune stared after the pair in shock. "Well that was quite sudden. And if you won't listen...then I will!" Grinning her evil grin she tiptoes over to the kitchen and stops in surprise when Kaolla, Shinobu, AND Kanako walk out. That was funny. He hadn't noticed Kanako enter the kitchen. He had seen Kaolla go in after she went down the railing and....  
  
"What the? Kaolla would have immediately gone into the kitchen in the morning...so how did she get there after me...Kaolla wasn't acting her normal self, especially after how sing-song she was...so...?"  
  
Kitsune just chuckled. "Kanako is good at disguises. You probably didn't notice Suu in the kitchen the first time for some reason and the Suu you saw go in the kitchen must have been Kanako."  
  
Kanako was looking a bit smug, while Shinobu and Kaolla looked sort of miffed. About what he wasn't sure. Kanako smiled and poked her leg out so that when Sesaru made a pass in his cleaning cycle he tripped over her foot and went flying into the wall. "GAH!"  
  
"Gah is not a word!" The three girls glance at each other and then at him and Sesaru.   
  
Kanako marched up to him and poked his chest with her finger. "You and your friend are going to accompany the three of us to the beach today. It was decided that a buddy system was needed so you two must come along, but it was also agreed that I didn't need a buddy because I'm trained in the martial arts."  
  
"What about Kaolla? Doesn't she have her powers and su~" Kanako chose that moment to smack him upside the head.   
  
"Don't contradict me." Taisuke grumbled and rubbed the back of his head. But in the end he acquiesed to their demands of his coming...most of all because Sesaru seemed quite happy at their demand and kept motioning for him to accept. Not really getting what was making Sesaru so excited he just shrugged his shoulders and then went to have breakfast.  
  
(45 minutes later in Taisuke's room)  
  
"Damn stubborn jackass!"   
  
"Arrogant pissant!"  
  
"You aren't going to ruin my day with your foolishness!"  
  
"You calling me a fool! Ha! Pot calling the kettle black!"  
  
"Would you stop that! You have to wear it!"  
  
"No way am I wearing that thing!"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
Taisuke snatched the thing from Sesaru's hands and held it up. "Look at it! It's all meshy on the inside so you can't wear anything under it comfortably! And according to you I shouldn't wear a shirt with it!"  
  
Sesaru shoved his face right in Taisuke's and glared at him. "Of course you can't wear anything under or it, or a shirt with it! It's a bathing suit! And I don't care whether or not you've ever worn one or think it's proper! You go shirtless in your sparring matches with Motoko!"  
  
Pushing his own face forward so that Sesaru had to jerk back to keep from being knocked over Taisuke glared right back. "That's completely different! Motoko is a fellow martial artist! I respect her and see nothing wrong with that."  
  
Sesaru pushed right back. "It's not different! If it was different the way you say it is, about a fellow martial artist, then you'd be shirtless in your matches with Kanako! But you aren't! Now stopping being stubborn! Your going in this bathing suit whether you like it or not!"  
  
Taisuke hopped backwards and pulled a boken off his dresser. "That's it! I'll show you! Ryuudengeki!"  
  
Sesaru jerked in shock and pulled out his nunchucks. He spun them around and shouted, "Shrieking Boomerang!" A blue wheel of ki shot forth from his spinning nunchucks and clashed with the golden ki released in Taisuke's lightning elemental attack. There was a dazzling display of sparks and finally the two ki attacks exploded leaving the room clouded in smoke.   
  
Both warriors fell backwards and started laughing having realized how ridiculous the situation was. Taisuke shook his head trying to stop laughing enough to speak. "Alright...I'll wear it."   
  
(Fade out to jungle)  
  
Taisuke tried to ignore the fact that he was walking through the jungle wearing a blue bathing suit and no shirt trying to get to the beach. And also ignored the fact that Sesaru was also there, wearing a black bathing suit and similarly shirtless. Taisuke sighed and brushed a bunch of palm leaves aside and then drew in a sharp breath.  
  
There before them was the beach. It amazing scintilatting colors the beach was one of the most phenomenal things Taisuke had ever seen. Sunlight was reflected in incredible ways upon the water and the sand itself. It was astonishing. Sesaru seemed similarly amazed...but his gaze was directed in one particular direction.   
  
Taisuke followed his friends line of sight and found what was looking for. His eyes widened and his blood pressure started to rise. He clamped fingers onto his nose to avoid blood flow. Sesaru had a clothes pin clamped onto his noise...but after a few moments he seemed to calm down enough and pulled the clip off.   
  
Giggling and splashing about the girls finally noticed that they had arrived and starting running over kicking up sand as they did. Taisuke was destinctly reminded of a flock of angels. He shook his head to try and clear his thoughts and finally released his nose. He'd be fine...he hoped.   
  
As they got closer he realized something. He was unprepared to seeing any girl this way...especially ones as pretty as these three. He clamped his jaw shut and tried hard not to stare. He supposed that was what women's bathing suits were like...but it didn't seem possible that they would wear those in front of other people...and yet it seemed they were. Shinobu wore a blue thing...it clung to her skin and showed all of her legs, it was single piece of clothing. He could feel his heart hammering. Kanako was wearing two pieces of clothing as her bathing suit...and if anything she was showing even more skin then Shinobu! All of her legs were exposed and both pieces were very tight, the top one covered her breasts and that was all, leaving the rest of her to the open air. Yeah...he definetly wasn't ready for this. Kaolla wore a pink two-piece that was just as tight as Kanako's but had a slight declining V to it that Kanako's lacked. Sesaru was grinning.   
  
Blankly he felt Kaolla grab onto one arm and Shinobu onto the other. "Come on, lets go swim." He let himself be hauled off to the water. He also noticed Kanako bash Sesaru over the head and start to drag him to the water by his hair.  
  
"You know you don't have to drag me Kanako."   
  
"Shut up."  
  
Moments later Taisuke was paddling through the water. Swimming had relaxed him whenever he had a chance to do so. But it seemed much more relaxing and easier to swim in the bathing suit then it was fully-clothed as he was used to. The cool water also felt good against his skin. He dove down paddling to see how far below the water he could go. It was crystal clear...it was amazing. Finally he reached the bottom, still holding his breath he turned over in the water and let his knees bend as his feet came into contact with the sandy bottom. He used his knees to shoot himself straight up like a missile. Kicking as hard as he could he reached the surface and burst forth. He laughed out loud and relaxed into the water, letting himself float contentedly.   
  
There was another splash and Taisuke turned his head to see what it was. Kaolla came out of the water sort of like he had, except she shook her hair as she got free of the water. She also started walking back onto the beach. Rivulets of water trickled down her skin. He was riveted.   
  
Finally managing to shake himself back into reality he noticed that Kanako, Shinobu, and Sesaru were already sitting on a large towel and setting something up, they were also talking and laughing. Shinobu seemed to be blushing, but Taisuke couldn't be sure from such a distance. It felt like it hadn't been that long...but he realized he had been swimming about for close to an hour...or maybe even longer. He had gotten lost in his swimming, so relaxed that he also probably fell asleep and had woken up right before Kaolla came out of the water.   
  
Suddenly he realized that the entire group was motioning for him to come over. He turned over in the water and paddled back to shore. Getting out he started walking towards the group, he caught the towel that Kaolla tossed him and dried himself a bit with it before he sat down on the towel in between Sesaru and Shinobu. Next to Shinobu was Kaolla, and Kaolla sat next to Kanako who was beside Sesaru. And so the circle was completed.   
  
"WALLA!" Kaolla produced an empty sake bottle and placed it in between all of them. Kanako sighed and shook her head.  
  
"It's 'voila' not 'walla'." Kaolla blinked a few times and then grinned.  
  
"Is 'voila' yummy?" Everyone toppled over onto their backs or sides.   
  
After a little bit of recovery it seemed that everything was in order. Kanako held the bottle out in front of her and met each person's gaze. "Alright. 'Spin the bottle', does everyone agree to the rules that are implied by the game?"   
  
There was a chorus of "hais" and one, "Nani?"  
  
Everyone turned to look at Taisuke. "What is it?"  
  
"I haven't agreed to any rules yet. So we can't start anything." They started to glare at him, especially Sesaru.   
  
The older man wrapped an arm around his neck and started giving him a noogie. "You don't have any clue what 'Spin the Bottle' is do you?"  
  
Taisuke jerked free and turned away. "No."  
  
Everyone burst out laughing. Taisuke turned back and started yelling. "It's not funny!"  
  
(Five minutes later)  
  
"Do you agree?"  
  
"Hai."  
  
"Alright then...let's play. I go first."  
  
Everyone watched with interest as Kanako started the bottle turning and turning. They watched it carefully as it slowed down passing over each of them in turn. Nobody was certain who it would land on. Who would be first to go? Shinobu? Kaolla? Kanako herself? Sesaru? Taisuke? The bottle continued its slowing and came to rest pointing at Shinobu. Everyone blinked in surprise, especially Shinobu and Kanako.  
  
Hesitantly the two girls leaned forwards. There was a quick brush of lips and then both girls were sitting again, almost as if pretending nothing had happened. Except both had pink tinging their cheeks. Sesaru took the bottle from the center and began to spin it about his hand. Taisuke mentally sighed. One of Sesaru's proferred weapons were the nunchucks...he could make that bottle point to whoever he wanted. The bottle spun from his fingers and landed on towel in a dizzying spiral.   
  
It began to spin so fast that it tipped upwards until it finally stopped...pointing straight up! And just when everyone thought they were safe...the bottle toppled over and pointed clear at Kanako. So that was who he was aiming for. Sesaru leaned forward and took Kanako's face in his hands. His lips met hers and he kissed her passionately. At first her eyes began to slide closed as she enjoyed it...but then she seemed to remember her opinion of Sesaru and bashed him on top of the head. He lay on his back leg twitching moaning something about 'Why me?' Taisuke had a hard time not laughing.   
  
Everyone was watching him. It was his turn. 'Oh shit! What am I supposed to do?' he thought to himself, he wasn't ready for this...especially not with the girls looking like they did. And he wasn't about to cheat as Sesaru had...not that it would do him any good. Talking good hold of his nerves he packed them into a corner of his mind and stomped up and down on them a few times for good measure. He slowly placed his hands on the bottle and gave it a good spin.   
  
He could feel his heart pounding at every full circle that the bottle made. OH YEAH! HE WAS DEFINENTLY NOT READY FOR THIS! He squeezed his eyes shut until he heard someone giggle. The bottle had stopped its spin. He slowly opened his eyes and looked to who it was pointing at. His heart seemed like it was trying to escape from his chest.   
  
Kaolla  
  
Heart pounding he leaned forward slowly and hesitantly...his lips brushed hers and he quickly started to sit down. But before he could he felt hands grasp handfulls of his hair and pull him back. His lips met hers and he realized that he never really knew what a kiss was until now. Not one like this. He gave into it and kissed back with all the need within him. It was wonderful, sweeter then wine, soft as a marshmellow, it was incredible. Both of them sat back breathing hard and averting their eyes from each other.   
  
Sesaru grinned and clapped his friend on the back. "Congratulations kid. Your first kiss."   
  
Finding a bit more breath he glared at Sesaru his eyes promising retribution at a later date. "SHUT UP!"   
  
"Make me!"   
  
"That's it! You are so going down! RAAA!!!" Sesaru's eyes widened as Taisuke leaped at him fists extended.   
  
Quickly they became a dust cloud moving across the beach, occasionly with fists and feet visible. Various curses floated from the moving dust ball. They were pulled apart as Kanako stalked over and grabbed each one by the ear, then she dragged them back and plopped them down on the towel. "Let's get back to the game."  
  
BOOM! They all jerked in shock at the sound of thunder. They turned their eyes up in shock as the clouds covered the area darkening it. And then rain began to pour down on them. Lightning came with the rain and soon after each bolt the boom of thunder followed. Gasping they gathered up everything they could and ran off back towards Hinatasou for shelter.   
  
They were mostly split up it, Kaolla was nowhere to be seen and she had most of everything with her, knowing her she was probably nearly to Hinatasou by now. He wasn't that far behind, the others were somewhere behind him. He didn't notice a root and his foot snagged. He went down in a heap and pulled himself to a standing position leaning back against a leafy tree that provided some cover against the rain. Shinobu stopped under the tree leaning against it to catch her breath. Kanako and Sesaru were still farther behind them, struggling through the dirt that was becoming muddy. They had what was left of their beach stuff.   
  
"Shinobu, are you alright?" Finally catching her breath Shinobu straightened and smiled, nodding.   
  
"Taisuke...the storm...I...the storm cut the game short so..."  
  
"What is it Shinobu?"   
  
Shinobu stretched up on tiptoes and brought herself up against him. Her lips met his and he reacted by wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. The kiss was long, deep, and wonderful. It wasn't as astounding as Kaolla's had been, but it left him with a warm feeling that seemed just as nice as Kaolla's. She pulled back and smiled up at him meeting his eyes for but a moment, and then she ran off into the ran. He watched her go and shook his head in wonder. Would he ever understand women? Probably not even if he studied the subject for five lifetimes. But what fun was it without a bit of mystery?  
  
Sesaru walked up on unsteady legs and stood there for a moment next to Taisuke. Kanako walked on by looking a bit unsteady herself, but seeming to purposefully ignore Sesaru. Nope, Taisuke would never get women. Turning his head to the older man he spoke, "Have you ever been completely confused about how you feel about a girl...or maybe more then one?"   
  
Sesaru turned to look at his young friend and a grin spread across his face. Drapping his arm over his friends shoulders he led the younger man back towards Hinatasou. Still grinning he spoke. "Taisuke...welcome to my world. Now lets talk."   
  
(End theme)  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
yoake no hikari sosogu ka no chi wa doko?  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
Honojiroi sono hohoemi, douka sawarasete  
  
Koko wa hi no ataranai basho  
hitorikiri de naku toki no himitsu no basho  
sakebu youni namae yobunda  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no michi  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no hikari  
kimi ga iru kara, kimi sae ireba   
  
Note: Weeeee!!!!! I loved writing this chapter and took me a lot of work, so please somebody review it, I want to know if it turned out as good as I hoped. :) 


	10. Episode 10

A dark pair of eyes gazed down upon the peaceful Hinatasou. The rain had stopped at last, but the true storm was about to begin. "The true storm? Hehehehehehe....I am the storm. Myauahahahahahahaha!"  
  
Slowly the laughter fades leaving the island tranquil in the night once again.   
  
"Hmmm...I get better every time I do that."  
  
(Enter opening theme)  
  
Yane no ue de sora o aogu, hizashi wa uraraka  
miageru sora, karadajuu genki ga minagitteku  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, akirameru da nante  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Uruwashi no yawaraka na hada, imada te wa todokazu  
me o tojireba fukuramu IMEEJI, miwaku no kajitsu  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, sono saki o mitai   
  
Dotou no hibi wa tsuzuku, doko made mo  
tengoku to jigoku, yukitsumodoritsu  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
hashire hashire, ai o te nisuru made  
sore de kurushimunara nozomu tokoro  
shukufuku no toki ga kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Te o nobashite, ryoute agete!  
  
(End Theme Song)  
  
Episode 10: Case of the Disappearing Tenants  
  
Day 14  
  
Shinobu reached up to touch her lips. The other day...she smiled at the memory. It seemed like a dream, but she knew it wasn't. She just wished she knew how he felt. She felt wonderful that she had managed to do what she had to do.   
  
But Kaolla...it felt strange to think of her own friend as competition...and silly to believe she could have anything with this man who would be gone from her life in two weeks. She shook her head. She would just have to make the best of it. "Taisuke...I don't know how you feel about me...but I want to enjoy our time together as much as I can."  
  
(Fade to Kaolla's room)  
  
Kaolla reached up to touch her lips. The other day...she smiled at the memory. She had planned the whole thing, and even put on a bathing suit she thought he'd like. Something she never expected herself to do. She had only had feelings for her brother before...but this was different. She felt different around Tai then she did around her brother. "Nii-sama...Tai...I don't know which of you I love more. Tai, I don't know how you feel about me, but I'm going to have as much fun with you as I can...before you leave."   
  
It seemed strange to think of her own friend as competition. Shinobu had never had to try to look good, she just was. She was cute and she knew it, but Kaolla didn't have as much going for her as Shinobu did. But even with her as competition...Kaolla wouldn't let that get between their friendship.   
  
(Fade to Kanako's room)  
  
Kanako reached up to touch her lips. The other day...she smiled at the memory. But then she scowled and started berating herself. "What are you thinking! He's a pervert, a no-good low-life, a lecher, a cheat, and a loser! Nobody like that is worth the time or effort...not worth anything!" But while she could saw what she wanted...that didn't calm her...didn't reassure her that the words were true and her heart beating as it had been was false. This man she knew nothing about...she had talked with him certainly...but she didn't understand.   
  
"No! Baka Kanako! Baka baka baka baka baka baka baka! He's a nothing! Kami what is wrong with you Kanako! Get it together!" No...her words were the truth, her feelings were false.  
  
(Fade to the Urashima room)  
  
Naru smiled at the sleeping form of her husband. He looked so peaceful like that. It would be a shame to wake him now...besides, she was too tired to do anything, and he probably was in the same fix. She snuggled up against him and smiled as she closed her eyes. It was so wonderful that sometimes she wondered why she had ever denied her own feelings to herself. And even now, sometimes she still did things and said things that she shouldn't. He had changed her, made her a better person. He seemed to do that to a lot of people. Everyone he met was usually affected...and most often for the better. She had met some of the people that he had known earlier in his life, and had been surprised by some of the ways he had changed their lives. This man that she loved was a great man, a strong man, maybe not physically...but he had strength in the way that truly counted. Strength of character and strength of emotion. He might be a bumbler...but he would stand up for something even with no chance of actually succeeding, he also thought the best of people and tried to help me them with what they needed.   
  
"Keitaro...I love you."  
  
(Fade to Kitsune's room)  
  
"Seta-san. I wonder..." The fox girl sat there leaning against her wall with a bottle of sake in one hand and a cup in the other. She was drunk...as usual. She understood how she felt now...but still nothing had come of it. She wished she could be happy in her life in the way that Naru was. To finally be with the one that she loved. But Seta was a complicated man, and while Kitsune usually enjoyed things that were complicated...being in love with a complicated man was a bit different.  
  
"Then again he might just be so simple that he's complicated." At times Seta was intelligent and witty, but at others he was flighty and somewhat stupid. Seta was a good one for advice, he knew what was right and what was wrong in a way that few people could actually grasp, and he was there for you when you needed him the most. Sure he was a bit obsessed with the ancient turtle civilization...but almost everyone was obsessed with something.   
  
"Maybe it is right for me to be honest...maybe...but I need more drink."  
  
"Ha-cha!"  
  
(Fade to hot-springs)  
  
Mutsumi sank deep into the water. It was so relaxing. "Ahhh..........."  
  
(Fade to Motoko's room)  
  
Motoko's sword slashed through the air viciously. She would be prepared for whatever would come. She thought of her sister and of all the things that her sister had taught her. She wondered if she would ever marry as her sister had...ever fall in love at all. That was all mere speculation...for now she would train. "Anawe...I will be happy as you are...someday."  
  
(Fade to Haruka's guest room)  
  
Haruka stood and gazed out the window. She could feel it stirring deep within her. Driving her. Calling her. She knew what she must do and she relished doing it.   
  
"I'm coming Master."  
  
(Fade to hallway)  
  
"EH? HARUKA HAS VANISHED?"  
  
Keitaro nodded. "Hai, I went to go ask her a question and she wasn't there. I checked all over the place but could find no sign of her anywhere."  
  
Keitaro collapsed as Naru punched the top of his head. "Don't be stupid! She probably just went walking!"  
  
Keitaro groaned and held up something. Her cigarretes. "It's her last pack...the rest are at her tea house and this one is full, I saw her get rid of the last one of her previous pack the other day. She wouldn't leave without a cigarette."  
  
The others stood there in shock. They knew it was true. Haruka never went anywhere without her cigarettes. "If this is settled then we have to split into groups and search the island for her."  
  
So it was decided. Fairly quickly the pairings were made. They of course knew that every group would need someone who knew how to fight, so the decisions were made based on this fact. They even handed out communicators, Kaolla made, for everyone to use. The pairings were thus.  
  
Taisuke & Shinobu Group A  
Seta & Kitsune Group B  
Kaolla & Naru Group C  
Motoko & Keitaro Group D  
Sesaru & Mutsumi Group E  
Kanako Group F  
  
Kanako stopped in the midst of her walking. It wasn't that she had heard anything, or that she was nervous. But rather she had just thought of something. Tama, Kuro, and Miko hadn't been around for days now. "Whatever got Haruka must have taken them as well. Damn this is bad."   
  
With her usual serious expression on she sprinted through the jungle watching everything and shouting, "Haruka-san!" every five six seconds. But so far to no avail. It didn't look she'd ever get a response or see anything at this rate. "Shit! Where is she? HARUKA-SAN!"   
  
Kanako came to a skidding halt. Something was wrong...very wrong. She could feel a terrible sense of dread climb up her spine, a tingling sense that told her of something evil nearby. And her ki senses were all shouting that this thing's power was huge. Slipping instinctivly into a fighting stance she readied herself for anything that might come.  
  
Of course nothing could prepare her for the jolt of primal emotions from within her. The deep-seeded lust that rose up and made her feet move outside their own will. She couldn't do a thing about it.   
  
The fog filled the area and Kanako was nowhere to be seen.  
  
(Fade to Group E)  
  
"HARUKA! HARUKA! ARE YOU THERE?" Sesaru walked slowly through the jungle keeping an eye out for Haruka or anything else, and an eye on making sure Mutsumi was safe. Of course keeping an eye on Mutsumi was easy...but that was besides the point. Mutsumi walked around near him calling out every once and a while, "HELLO EVERYONE!"  
  
Sesaru shook his head and sighed. Ok...so maybe having a beautiful flake as a search partner wasn't such a great thing. But at least she was helping. At least she had been...  
  
Sesaru watched as Mutsumi's body suddenly went rigid and she gazed off into the distance. Her feet began to move almost as if she was unaware of it. Sesaru scrambled over and put his hand on her shoulder. "Mutsumi? Is everything alright?" She just ignored him and kept walking. He stood there dumbfounded for a moment and then went to catch up with her. She walked straight into a strange fog that he just appeared.   
  
"Mutsumi-san!" He burst through the fog and stopped dead. Nothing. She wasn't anywhere to be seen. Spinning around looking over the whole area he struggled to see some sign of the flaky girl.   
  
"MUTSUMI-SAN!"  
  
(Fade to Group D)  
  
Motoko had her ki senses extended. She didn't have to let Keitaro know what was coming. The terribly powerful evil that she sensed coming ever closer. Nor did he need to know about the feeling that was spreading through her. A feeling that as it grew made her look at Keitaro in a way she would never have before. The feeling wasn't even directed at him, but its residual effects were making her think things that she shouldn't.   
  
Keitaro spun about in shock as Motoko layed her hand on his back. Putting a hand to his chest he calmed himself. "Don't do that Motoko-chan. You surprised me. Well, what is it? Did you see something?"   
  
Motoko didn't respond in words. She merely pushed him backwards with one hand against a tree and advanced. Keitaro had a look of stark terror blazoned on his face as she approached him. 'She's gonna kill me this time!' he thought to himself. Her blade came free and she held it steady in front of her.  
  
"AIIIIEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!" Keitaro screamed as Motoko slashed viciously with the sword. He blinked in shock seeing that he was still alive and apparently unharmed. His heart rate started to return to normal...until his shirt split in half and fell away.   
  
Motoko placed a hand on his chest and leaned in close her face almost touching his. Her hand slowly started to travel downwards and Keitaro started to freak out. This was wrong...this was very wrong! 'This can't be happening!'   
  
Suddenly Motoko's hand stopped. She spun about to stare into the trees. "Master", she whispered. Silently she sprung forwards into a forming cloud of fog. Moments later the fog had faded away and Motoko was nowhere to be seen. Keitaro slid down the tree and sat heavily on his butt. "What's going on here?"  
  
(Fade out to Group B)  
  
Kitsune leered at Seta. It wasn't how she would normally act...at least not around Seta. But though people believed things about her that weren't true...she knew enough to know what she was feeling, and know enough to realize that it was irrational. Especially at the time.   
  
"Seta-san?"  
  
"Eh? What is it Kitsune?" Seta looked over his shoulder and smiled at the fox girl.  
  
"Do you love me?"   
  
(Fade to Group A)  
  
"HARUKA-SENPAI!" Shinobu's call was echoed by Taisuke who was off to one side peering through parted branches. Sweat made his white shirt cling to his body. He looked very good like that. Shinobu shook her head in shock. She didn't normally think like that! What was wrong with her? She was feeling something strange but....she shook her head again to clear her thoughts.   
  
Taisuke let the branches fall back into place and turned about to continue searching. He stopped for a moment looking at Shinobu. She was so cute...no not cute. That wasn't the right word. She was petite, but she had a great figure, and those big blue eyes were amazing. Beautiful would be the right word for her. 'GAH! Don't think like that! Keep your mind on the job at hand!' he wrapped the side of his head with his knuckles for emphasis.   
  
"Shinobu?" The blue haired girl turned to him and smiled. Something in it seemed different then usual, but imperceptive as he was when it came to girls Taisuke didn't notice it.  
  
"Hai? What is it Taisuke?"  
  
"Why did you kiss me like that the other day?" Taisuke's jaw almost dropped when he spoke the words. That wasn't what he was going to say! Was it?   
  
Shinobu looked shocked but her expression slowly changed. She walked up to Taisuke with a smile on her face...the different smile that he was starting to notice. Taisuke followed her every move...she wasn't so much walking as...swaying. She stopped with little space in between them. She looked up at him and smiled. Taisuke gulped and tried to calm his pounding heart.   
  
"Why? Didn't you like it?"   
  
She was so beautiful that he answered again without thinking. "Of course! I just wondered why you kissed me. I mean...I'm nothing special or anything like that."  
  
"You are special Taisuke...don't ever believe you aren't." Taisuke stumbled and fell onto his back. He hadn't realized he had been backing away the whole time...she was just making him nervous.   
  
His clumsiness had another effect. His feet caught with Shinobu's and she tumbled down with him ending up above him in a VERY awkward position. Both of their hearts were pounding in time. 'This can't be Shinobu...she doesn't act like this! This is wrong...but why am I not resisting?' Taisuke closed his eyes and forgot his troubles as her lips met his. The kiss was more passionate then their previous one, and although it had that same warm feeling to it, it was different as well.   
  
Gently, she parted his lips and tasted his with the tip of his tongue... something she had never done to someone's lips. She shivered and grew bolder, delicately exploring where his lips met. She was surprised when his lips parted and something warm and soft met her tongue. She pulled away with a twitch and gazed searchingly in his eyes. She saw nothing but trust and warmth in them. She leaned forward again and she met him with her lips parted. She tasted him, teasing his tongue and pulling his head closer to her with her hands. She moaned against him. It felt like death and the relief of meeting oblivion. He pulled away and held her close, burying his face in her neck. "I didn't know... I didn't know it was like this. So warm... so warm..." he cried, smelling her skin.   
  
A deep voice chuckled. "Quite naughty aren't you two? But as interesting as this is...it ends now. Mwauahahahahahahahaha!" Taisuke sat bolt upright as a feeling of incomprable evil washed over him. His senses had been distracted and he hadn't noticed the approach!   
  
"Shinobu! Get behind me! I'll protect you!"  
  
The man just laughed at this. No...not a man. Taisuke had learned enough to know the feeling different. Oni. This man was a demon! "I'm afraid you won't be protecting her today young one. She is mine." He beckoned with a finger and she rose against her will and walked to him.   
  
"Leave her alone!" Taisuke launched from his spot ready to attack with everything he had. He grunted as his breath was driven from his lungs by a foot. He hit the ground and rolled for a few feet before he recovered and got back on his feet. A fog lifted behind him and they came.   
  
"Naru-senpai! Mustumi-senpai! Kitsune! Kanako-san! Motoko-san! Haruka-senpai! Kaolla!" He cursed violently to see them all standing behind the demon. They were under his spell and Kanako was the one who had kicked him. Motoko started forward her blade held up in front of her, Kanako approached similarly in a fighting stance, and Naru started forward fists at the ready. The odds were against him.  
  
"Don't fret, I'm always here to help buddy."   
  
Taisuke grinned as his friend came up beside him nunchucks in his fists. "Sesaru!"   
  
"I'm here as well Tai-chan, always ready to lend a helping hand."   
  
Taisuke grinned again as his old teacher stopped on his other said fists up. "Seta-san!"  
  
From the opposite end of the clearing someone came through the trees. Face calm with a hint of anger and shirtless Urashima Keitaro stood steady gazing at the demon with something that Taisuke had never seen on his face before. Hatred.   
  
"You! This is your fault! You can't be allowed to go unpunished for your actions! We'll end this now!"   
  
The demon laughed once more. "I'm surprised at how great your ki has become little man. But it won't do you any good. Slaves...kill them all, for your master. Haka Akki."  
  
(End theme)  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
yoake no hikari sosogu ka no chi wa doko?  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
Honojiroi sono hohoemi, douka sawarasete  
  
Koko wa hi no ataranai basho  
hitorikiri de naku toki no himitsu no basho  
sakebu youni namae yobunda  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no michi  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no hikari  
kimi ga iru kara, kimi sae ireba 


	11. Episode 11

(Enter opening theme)  
  
Yane no ue de sora o aogu, hizashi wa uraraka  
miageru sora, karadajuu genki ga minagitteku  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, akirameru da nante  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Uruwashi no yawaraka na hada, imada te wa todokazu  
me o tojireba fukuramu IMEEJI, miwaku no kajitsu  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, sono saki o mitai   
  
Dotou no hibi wa tsuzuku, doko made mo  
tengoku to jigoku, yukitsumodoritsu  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
hashire hashire, ai o te nisuru made  
sore de kurushimunara nozomu tokoro  
shukufuku no toki ga kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Te o nobashite, ryoute agete!  
  
(End Theme Song)  
  
Episode 11: Day of the Demon  
  
Day 14  
  
"Succession Technique: Zan gan ken!" A burst of wind slashed across the ground and Taisuke rolled across the ground his fingers picking up leaves during his roll. He came up and held his blade above his head and then slashed it down.   
  
"Ryuu Ichijin!" A vortex of energy gushed forth from his blade at the female martial artist. Motoko raised her blade and blocked the vortex. She was pushed backwards a dozen feet before the attack faded. Then with a shout she rushed him. Taisuke raised his blade and parried. He flowed from form to form, dozens going by in mere seconds. His blade was a blur in his hands as he defended and attacked. Their blades crossed and they began to push with all their strength. Motoko had greater ki, but Taisuke's agility and speed were greater. They were dead even.  
  
Sesaru spun his nunchucks around gathering his ki for his signature attack. When a glow lit up around his weapons he knew he was ready. "Shrieking Boomerang!" He slashed them downards sending the spiral of ki launching towards Kanako. Kanako just smiled that frightening smile of hers and waited for it. At the last second as it was bearing down upon her she snapped her hands together. Gritting her teeth she dug her feet into the ground and held the ki attack between her palms. Sweat started multiplying on her skin and her feet sank deeper into the ground as she started to yell louder and louder, gathering her ki. With one tremendous effort she swung her arms upwards flinging the ki attack into the sky. Calm once more she moved into her fighting stance and motioned for Sesaru to attack.   
  
Haka Akki smirked at Seta as he gracefully dodged every single attack that the human could make. He didn't even make an effort at striking back, he just letting Seta do all the work and still achieve nothing. It seemed quite one sided. "Poor Seta, can't truly grasp the power that was taught to him. Never taught the true secrets of the fighting style he claims to use. Just uses his naturally superior ki to increase his speed and agility and hope that it brings him through the fight. And poor Seta for what he wants. You want so much, but you don't think you can have it." Seta screamed his rage and redoubled his efforts.  
  
Keitaro snapped his head to the left to avoid Naru's punch. Infuriated his wife swung faster at him, trying desperately to hit him. Tears were at the edges of his eyes as he continued to avoid her attacks. "Naru...this isn't you. Please...I can't bear to see you like this. You have to be free of it!"  
  
"I'll never be free of it! Not as long as you don't love me!" With a scream of frustration she pounced bowling him over. He landed on his back and lost his breath as her knees drove into his stomach. He caught her fist before it struck and gazed up at her with teary eyes. She was crying.  
  
"Naru...I love only you. And I will never love another." He hugged her to his chest and kissed her passionately.   
  
Haka growled in rage at the sigh of their embrace. Tentacles erupted from his back and shot towards the pair at incredible speeds. "HOW DARE YOU! SHE IS MINE BY RIGHT! I CLAIMED HER AND YOU CANNOT HAVE HER!"   
  
Seta spun about and leaped after the tentacles. "NO!!!!!" At the last moment he managed to make it in the way. The tentacles touched his chest and everything seemed to freeze. Color faded out and everything was motionless. Then in the same manner that the color had faded it returned and Seta went tumbling head over heels across the ground coming to a halt face down in the dirt. Keitaro rushed over to him with Naru in his arms and placed his fingers on his neck.   
  
"Still beating...but barely."   
  
Motoko and Taisuke had been busy. Both had cut each other several times and their clothing was hanging in shreds. Taisuke panted barely able to hold the blade up, let alone battle Motoko. On the other hand the Kendo girl seemed to be in a similar condition. They had bothed used to many ki attacks to do much else but attack like normal swordsmen/swordswomen. Blades crossed they stared at each other, Motoko's gaze was a glare of hatred and Taisuke's one of concern and desperation. "Motoko...I don't want to do this. I'll do whatever I can to free you, and I won't stop for anything less then success. Failure is not an option!"   
  
Tears gathered in the kendo girl's eyes. She seemed to be fighting with herself, her eyes were mirrors of inner torment. "You don't understand! There can never be success! I will never have happiness!"   
  
Taisuke shook his head. It wasn't possible. "NO! Don't believe that Motoko! You can be happy! You will be happy! I promise it. I swear it."  
  
The struggling stopped and Motoko simply watched him for a moment. "You promise?"  
  
Taisuke smiled and pulled back the pressure of his blade. "I promise."   
  
A small smile crossed Motoko's face revealing the true beauty that she possessed. "Then finish the fight."   
  
"RYOUDENGEKI!"   
  
The golden bolt of his ki struck dead on and illuminated the entire area. Light flooded the vision of everyone present and all was silent for a moment. Then the light faded.   
  
Motoko thumped to the ground and layed there, motionless. She wasn't dead...but she was the closest thing to it. Taisuke's hands shook on the blade and he looked up at the demon who had taken his friends and made him do such things. A look of utter hatred was fixed upon his normally kindly face. The demon stared in shock as the boy's ki began to rise dramatically.   
  
'He can't possibly be that powerful!'   
  
Sesaru grunted as his back was driven agains the tree. He coughed and blood flew from his mouth. He scrubbed the corner of his mouth with the back of his right hand and grimaced. He couldn't keep fighting Kanako like this, she was at least as good as he was except she was willing to do more to end the fight. He was limited by his feelings...and the moment his feelings were confused.   
  
'What am I supposed to do? I'm not even sure how I feel about her so how can I possibly say anything to snap her out of this? I don't know what to do!'   
  
He tackled her without thinking and struggled with her to keep her down. She yowled like a cat as she fought back trying to pus him off of her. He struggled back to keep her pinned. "I have to do this Kanako! I can't let you hurt yourself, I can't let you do anything you'll regret because I..."   
  
His heart was pounding. He should say it. He truly had to. He needed to. But at the same time as the knowledge flooded into him he couldn't help but wonder what it was he had to say. It was at once obvious and yet utterly confusing.   
  
FWIIIT  
  
He stared blankly at the patch of dirt beside Kanako's face. It didn't seem possible. How could she? How could it have happened? Blood dribbled from mouth and covered his chin, droplets ready to fall at any moment. Blood leaked over the small blade placed into his stomach and over Kanako's hand. "Ka...na...ko..."  
  
He collapsed onto her his blood spreading out in a pool and drenching her body as well. Exhausted she past out beneath his limp form.   
  
Taisuke stared in horror at what was happening. It shouldn't have been happening. Especially as he watched Keitaro and Naru be snapped aside by Haka's tentacles. They dropped to the ground unconcious. He shook his head in denial. It couldn't be possible. He wouldn't let it be.   
  
The smug demon tilted his head first to the left, and then to the right. As if summoned Kaolla and Shinobu stepped out in front of him. He made a motion with his hand and chuckled. "If my best warrior Motoko can't beat you, then I think it's time I switch from using the curve of a blade...to a completely different type of curve."  
  
Shinobu slipped up beside him and grabbed his arm smiling up at him. She looked so sweet like that...but the seductive smile on her face didn't seem to fit her. Kaolla appeared on his other side and gave him a sultry smile. It also didn't look right on her....but who was he to question them? He gulped and shook his head. "No! This isn't right! You aren't who you pretend you are! You're possessed!"   
  
Hurt looks flashed across the two's faces. They were mirror images of emotion. He quivered and squeezed his eyes shut. "Stop it...don't do this to me." He felt his back hit a tree and opened his eyes. Kaolla's lips met his and her tongue parted them, sliding into his mouth to tease and taste his tongue. He moaned and tried to remember why this wasn't right. She pulled back and Shinobu replaced Kaolla's tongue with her own. Why couldn't this be right? It seemed so right...but something deep within him gave him a nagging feeling that this wasn't as it should be.   
  
And as he started to return their display of affection he realized what it was. Their lucsious forms pressed against his body were just distractions placed in his way by his enemy. Haka Akki, the demon responsible for so much. But the other part of him argued that it didn't matter that this was his doing. It felt so right didn't it? It felt so good.   
  
Then it truly hit him. Even as he enjoyed the feeling of being so near to them he was forgetting what remained around him. And it was the actions of the least likely person that woke him to the truth.   
  
Sara Macdougal, the 11 year old blond american girl, pseudo-daughter of Noriyasu Seta.   
  
In a fury over seeing her father injured and unconcious she charged Haka Akki. "HOW DARE YOU HURT MY PAPA!" She lept from the ground and went into a flying jump kick. Despite the girl's anger and surprising skill Haka Akki snatched her out of the air and held her out in front of him by the throat.   
  
"Pathetic little girl. Did you really think you could harm me? Me, the demon who would have been Shogun and then conqueror of the world if not for the ancestors of that boy there? I was powerful beyond belief and yet still I was entrapped for centuries, until I was awoken by the presence of humans upon this island. I am invincible."   
  
She gagged and struggled trying to speak.  
  
"What's that? I can't hear you?"  
  
He loosened his grip simply for the enjoyment he was getting. She coughed for a moment but managed to speak anyways. "You're not invincible...you're just a pathetic bastard."   
  
He growled in indignation. His grip tightened again and she grabbed at his hands trying to free herself as he cut off the air to her brain. "You will pay for that little girl!" He hurled her aside and watched with satisfaction as she rebounded of the limb of a tree and dropped face first to the ground, she lay twitching unable to move.   
  
Taisuke shook his head. It couldn't be. How could he have ignored it. He pushed himself free of the women who had him so confused and uncertain of his own actions, of his own thoughts. He knew what he had to do.   
  
"Seta...Keitaro...Naru...Kanako...Motoko...Sesaru...HAKA AKKI! You have done this to them! It's your fault! All of it is your fault! I don't care what revenge you want, all I know is that you have sent my friends against me. You have sent the women I most care about to seduce me against their will!"  
  
The demon smirked and motioned the women aside. "I was actually hoping it would come to this. A final battle between you and me. Come on now, let us finish this so I can enjoy those who you push aside so casually. You'll never get another chance like this again and yet you through it aside." He licked his lips.   
  
A faint glow began to grow about Taisuke as he stared at the demon. "No. I won't let you touch them. LEAVE THEM ALONE!"   
  
Haka Akki dug his feet into the ground as the glow burst up around the boy creating a vortex of swirling energies. Huge clouds of dust were kicked up by the very force of his ki. His eyes widened as he recognized the power that had been his defeat in ages long past. "It isn't possible...I looked into it! That technique is long forgotten! This can't be happening! The Tendou is a lost art...I REFUSE TO EXCEPT THIS!"  
  
Taisuke thrust his arms forward and the chaotic energies surged into his outstretched palms. "My friends...my heart's desire...this is for all of you. THIS IS MY GIFT TO YOU!"   
  
Haka Akki managed a scream as a torrent of ki washed over his body blanketing the entire island in a blaze of light. The raging ki engulfed him and spread. There was silence as the last ashes of the demon wafted about in the wind. The last of those possessed fell unconcious to the ground and a fog engulfed the entire island.   
  
The fog lifted revealing Hinatasou in its proper place. Everything was back to normal. Or so it seemed.   
  
With a satisfied smile on his face Taisuke collapsed from utter exhaustion.   
  
(End theme)  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
yoake no hikari sosogu ka no chi wa doko?  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
Honojiroi sono hohoemi, douka sawarasete  
  
Koko wa hi no ataranai basho  
hitorikiri de naku toki no himitsu no basho  
sakebu youni namae yobunda  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no michi  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no hikari  
kimi ga iru kara, kimi sae ireba   
  
Author's Note: Damn...I hope I managed to fulfill somebody's expectations because I certainly didn't fulfill mine. I wish that had turned out better but it took me forever to surpass the case of writer's block I had been getting for this episode. Also a few notes on Japanese meanings that aren't common.   
  
Ryudengeki: Dragon Shock   
Ryu Ichijin: Dragon Wind  
Tendou: Divine Justice  
  
Hope that helps some, man I just hope the next episode will be better then this. Sorry about the wait. 


	12. Episode 12

'Dear Journal, Things haven't quite been what might have been hoped for. Everybody got out of the hospital the other day and we all returned to Hinatasou. I guess you could say we've been totally silent amongst each other. Things aren't the way they used to be. I could put a few examples, but mostly I have to say it isn't looking to good for most of everyone. Except of course for Keitaro and Naru, they seem closer then ever. Motoko tries to avoid Keitaro whenever she can for some reason though neither gives a reason why, on the other hand the two of us have become more of friends rather then simply sparring partners since the situation. Kanako has been avoiding Sesaru despite her apologies to him and Sesaru seems nervous around her and just about everybody but me and Seta. Haruka is her normal quiet self despite the fact that she doesn't come near Hinatasou. Kitsune and Seta seem to be a bit quieter around each other then usual and just like the others no reason has been given. As for me...I've probably got the worst problem. Shinobu and Kaolla seem to hate me now, and avoid me like they would the plague. I guess it's kind of hard to face someone that you were forced to do something with that you didn't wish to. I can't really seem to face them either because I let things get out of hand. Things here...just aren't right anymore.'  
  
(Enter opening theme)  
  
Yane no ue de sora o aogu, hizashi wa uraraka  
miageru sora, karadajuu genki ga minagitteku  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, akirameru da nante  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Uruwashi no yawaraka na hada, imada te wa todokazu  
me o tojireba fukuramu IMEEJI, miwaku no kajitsu  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, sono saki o mitai   
  
Dotou no hibi wa tsuzuku, doko made mo  
tengoku to jigoku, yukitsumodoritsu  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
hashire hashire, ai o te nisuru made  
sore de kurushimunara nozomu tokoro  
shukufuku no toki ga kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Te o nobashite, ryoute agete!  
  
(End Theme Song)  
  
Episode 12: Recovery  
  
Day 21  
  
Taisuke leaned back in the chair and set his arms behind his head. He sighed loudly and stared at the ceiling. He brought his fingers to his lips and smiled slightly. It had been a week and he still couldn't help but think about it. So the situation hadn't been what he might have preferred, it still was one of the best experiences in his life. Up until the part where a crazed demon possessed all the women and tried to kill him, and the other two. Nearly managing quite a bit of it as well. Yeah...it had been pretty good up until that part.   
  
"Stop kidding yourself. Neither of them think of you as more then a friend, and now probably not even as that. How could they think about me when I responded as I did?"   
  
The door slid up and Sesaru entered. He leaned over and looked Taisuke right in the eyes. "Still being glum? You need to face them not sit her like a lump doing nothing."   
  
Taisuke let the chair bump back to its normal position and stared straight ahead at the wall. Sesaru was fine around him, but he seemed to act nervous around just about everyone else, especially Kanako. "Face them? Who are you kidding? I took advantage of them Sesaru! They probably hate me now!"   
  
Sesaru chuckled and shook his head. He pulled up another chair and sat down beside Taisuke. "Listen to me, they don't hate you. In fact the probably hate themselves more for doing what they did. They probably feel like they used you."  
  
Taisuke blinked in confusion. He turned his chair and watched his friend carefully. "What do you mean? How could they possibly have used me? They were possessed, I wasn't. I did the wrong thing and they had no choice about what they did."  
  
His friend rose from his sit and went to the door. He stood there for a moment and finally looked back. "Being possessed doesn't mean you're free of blame. They were given orders through their minds but they chose how to accomplish their orders. You can't place blame solely on yourself, especially not when women are involved. They take it as an offense."  
  
The door closed behind him and Taisuke sat their in silence. Sesaru's words made sense...but that didn't mean they were true. Even if they were...that didn't change the fact that Taisuke was guilty of doing something he never should have done, he had still given into his desire and taken advantage of them. He could never expect them to forgive him for it. He only had one option left. Taisuke rose and went to his closet.  
  
(Fade to the living room)  
  
Konno Mitsune, or Kitsune as she was commonly called, sat in silence in the Hinatasou living room. She had said some things that she wished she never had, and gotten an answer she didn't know how to respond to. So many people had thought of her as slutty, but it hurt so much to be taken in the wrong way by someone you cared for. She had done the wrong thing at the wrong time and had been hurt because of it. Such was the story of her life.   
  
Normally she would drown her sorrows, if she had any, with sake. This was something that went beyond what sake could accomplish, if she did drink she'd end up a sad drunk instead of just a drunk. "Seta...I'm sorry about what I did. I..." She stood and made her way upstairs. There was only one option left to her. She wouldn't have to live with it for much longer, she could simply do the most sensible thing. Flee.  
  
(Fade to Mutsumi's apartment)  
  
"Ara, is there something I'm forgetting?"   
  
A figure stands in the shadows and a loud sigh can be heard. "Of course there is. We've got a job to do at Hinatasou. Oh, that rhymed!" The figure begins to laugh loudly. Mutsumi stands there for a second looking confused and then begins to laugh with the figure.  
  
(Fade to Naru's room)  
  
*Panting sounds are heard*  
  
(Umm...yeah...elsewhere most definetely)  
  
Shinobu sat with her arms wrapped around her legs in the corner of her room. She reached up and touched her lips. She rested her head against her knees and began to cry. 'I can't believe I did that to Taisuke! I'm horrible! Oh how he must hate me!'   
  
She had done something despicable. She had used Taisuke, tricked him into reacting in a way he normally wouldn't have. Using the word Kitsune would have...she had seduced him. It was the most terrible thing she had ever done before and it made her ache in a way that couldn't be described. It wasn't a physical ache, it was more of an emotional one that had a physical effect.   
  
All she could do was avoid Taisuke, and she seemed to be crying a lot lately. The answer came to her as her sobbing ceased. She rose and looked directly at her closet. Maybe it was time to visit Tokyo, or maybe her home. It was the only way she could let Taisuke be happy. She would let him be free of her.   
  
(Fade to Kaolla's room)  
  
Kaolla sat on the branch of a tree and thought about what she had done. She also thought about what she should do now. Her actions had been wrong, she had been possessed, but the decision of how to carry out commands was hers and hers alone. And she might not have fought enough, in fact she couldn't remember fighting the control at all. And she had worked her wiles on a person she cared for. Taisuke probably hated her now.   
  
Who wouldn't hate her after what she had done? Her sister had told her once before that men couldn't really control themselves when confronted with certain situations such as being seduced like that. They had little self-control so could be seduced easily. Her sister had also told her how wrong such actions were.   
  
So now Kaolla was left with one option. It was time that she return home, time for her to go back to where she really belonged. Time to leave the dream that was Hinatasou.   
  
(Fade to Kanako's room)  
  
Kanako sat there staring at her hands. The hands that not but a week ago had been stained with Sesaru's blood. She wasn't certain about her feelings for him. He was a worthless, no good, hopeless pervert. But for some reason she still felt something for him, maybe it was his quirky sense of humor or his kind nature...and the fact that he was a decent fighter, or maybe it was something else. But he had to hate her now, he feared a bit probably as well. It was understandable since she had nearly killed him.   
  
Standing with new resolve she headed towards her closet. There was only one way out left for her. She would leave Hinatasou and set out on a journey. A journey of self-discovery probably, but at the very least a journey to keep her from hurting the people she cared about. Something she seemed to be particualarly good at. "Sesaru...gomen...don't worry, you'll be safe from me now."   
  
(Fade to Hinata tea house)  
  
A man of an age with Naru rises from his position at scrubbing dishes. He has short brown hair and is wearing a green apron over his white shirt. "Oh, who are you?"   
  
Taisuke runs a hand through his hair and replies in a similar manner. "I'm Taisuke, but who are you?"  
  
"I am Sakata Kentaro."  
  
"Keitaro?"  
  
"Kentaro!"  
  
Taisuke just shrugged and brushed past him. "So where is Haruka-san?"   
  
The older man sighed and tossed his head with an air of arrogance. "She's in the other room. Why do you need to see her?"  
  
Taisuke stopped on his way to the other room and glanced back at Kentaro. "I've got to ask her for some help in getting a ride back to my home."   
  
Taisuke entered through the shoji door and focused his attention on the brown-haired woman sitting at the head of a table talking to a bunch of strange old men. 'The Hinata Old Men Group...they only show up when something serious is about to happen....I wonder why they're speaking with Haruka-san?'   
  
"Oi, Haruka-san. I didn't mean to interupt you, I'll come back later."  
  
Haruka waved her arm in dismisal and glanced briefly at the old men. "It's okay, they were just leaving anyways."   
  
The old men stood and walked slowly towards the door. They stopped briefly when they reached Taisuke and glanced at him. The first one looked at the others and spoke in a creepy voice. "Is running away the right answer?"  
  
The second looked back and spoke as well in a similar creepy voice. "Is running away the wrong answer?"  
  
Together they spoke one last time before they exited the room. "Is he running for the right reasons?"  
  
The left quietly leaving Taisuke to stare at their backs in awe. He sweatdropped and turned his attention back to Haruka, carefully he picked out a spot and sat on the pillow beside her. "Haruka-san, I need to talk to you about getting a ride home. I've already told you where that was...so you know how difficult it will be for me to return. Can you help me?"  
  
Day 22   
  
"NANINANI?" Keitaro winced in pain and rubbed his ears in an attempt to bring back his hearing. Once he felt he was normal again he responded to the screetch....errr...question.   
  
"You don't have to shout, you can look yourself. Each one is a separate note, I don't think they collaborated on this."   
  
Naru and Motoko were the only ones remaining at Hinatasou with Keitaro. When Keitaro had woken up and discovered a complete lack of breakfast he had decided to investigate. There tacked to Shinobu's door was a note saying she had left Hinatasou.   
  
It read: 'I'm sorry everyone but I'm leaving Hinatasou. I intend to go and live with my father in Tokyo for a little while. I can't stay here becaues it is only a painful reminder of actions that I regret. I hope everyone will be able to still get some decent food in their bellies without me there. Please tell Taisuke that I'm sorry.'   
  
He had immediately gone to tell Taisuke about the situation and give him Shinobu's message. When he got to the martial artist's room he discovered a similar note also tacked up on it.   
  
It read: 'I've decided that it is better for me to leave before the predecided time. Haruka-san helped me get a plane ticket so I could return home. I needed to leave early so I chose to leave this note. If anyone would like to say goodbye I'm going to be at the Tokyo Airport, my flight leaves at 4 P.M. from Gate 93. Tell Shinobu and Kaolla that I'm sorry.'   
  
Of course this had worried him even more finding out that both of them had left so suddenly. Because of what the note said he went to Kaolla's room first to tell her. Not only had Taisuke left but her best friend had left as well. To Keitaro's even greater shock he once again found a note tacked up to the door...along with a bananna peel. After peeling the bananna off and throwing it away he had been able to read the note.   
  
It read: 'Bye everyone. Certain things have made me decide to leave and go home. I have to make it to the airport so I had to leave early, if you guys want to say goodbye I'll be at Tokyo Airport at Gate 34. Tell Taisuke I'm sorry.'   
  
Keitaro had known at that point that he needed to walk everyone else up, so he went to it. In the process he discovered Kitsune's note, Sesaru's note, and Kanako's note.   
  
Ironically enough it appeared that all of them were going to be in Tokyo at the same time, and everyone but Shinobu was going to be at the airport. And it didn't take the three of them long to decide that they had to get to Tokyo Airport before they left. A few minutes later a giant metal turtle was seen flying over the small town.   
  
(Fade out)  
  
Mutsumi and a figure in a cloak, the one who had been at her apartment, arrived at Hinatasou. What they discovered were the various notes of the former tenants scattered on the ground. Minutes after that a second flying turtle left the town on route for Tokyo.  
  
(Fade out to Tokyo)  
  
"Flight now leaving from Gate 47, Flight now leaving from Gate 47." Keitaro, Naru, and Motoko each sped up as they raced for Gate 34, they didn't have a lot of time left. And somehow they had to say goodbye to everyone. But of course they didn't know, they couldn't know that they weren't the only ones racing. And while they raced to find Kaolla the others who were running at the same moment were heading to Gate 93, where they intended to intercept a certain boy.   
  
Keitaro skidded to a halt and called out. "Su-chan! Hold on a moment." The foreign turned at the sound of Keitaro's voice and discovered the kanrinin standing there with Naru and Motoko behind him. All of them looked out of breath except Motoko, she was her usual calm self.   
  
"Keitaro! Naru! Motoko! Now I can say goodbye to you guys...but where are the others?"   
  
Naru took a few deep breaths before she could begin, "It's a long story, but to sum it up everyone is here and the only ones who don't plan on leaving are the three of us. Shinobu is somewhere else in the city. We've come here to convince you not to go."  
  
Kaolla shook her head. Her stance was firm and she seemed set in her decision, it was obvious simply from the way she was standing. "I have to go, its better for...certain people that I leave."  
  
Motoko took her turn at speaking and stepped out in front of the foreign girl. "Kaolla. Nobody was hurt by your actions, Taisuke was not hurt by your actions. We all understand that you didn't have control over yourself. Anything you did was not by your choice, and you can't be blamed for it. Nor will anyone hate you for it." As she spoke this she glanced back at Keitaro briefly, who nodded once and smiled at the Kendo girl.   
  
Kaolla looked like she was having a war within herself and she looked sad. Her eyes drifted to the ground and she stood there, head down, thinking. At last her head came up and she smiled. "Lets go find everyone else."  
  
Keitaro, Naru, and Motoko all smiled with her. One down, five to go.   
  
"You made it did you? Why do you have bags Su-chan?" The four of them turned around and found none other then Sesaru. Things looked like they were going to work out. Especially since Sesaru had someone leaning on his shoulder. None other than Kitsune.   
  
"Whats with Kitsune?"  
  
Sesaru grinned and glanced down at the fox girl on his shoulder. "I think she managed to drink all the Sake in the entire airport."   
  
(Fade out)  
  
"Flight now arriving at Gate 93, Flight now arriving at Gate 93, All passengers please disembark and make sure to take all baggage with you. Anything left onboard will be divided amongst the stewards and stewardesses. Please do not leave children or spouses."  
  
Taisuke yawned and pushed himself up and out of his seat. He had been waiting for a long time. He stretched his back out and grabbed his bags. Once all the people were off the airplane then he'd be able to get on and go home. Then everything would be back to normal at Hinatasou...at least as normal as things got at Hinatasou. For Taisuke life would return to the dull routine that he had always known. Training, lessons, lectures, prayer, training, lessons, and so on until he was 18, then he would be able to choose his own training schedule. Be able to do the things he wanted to do, at least within a limit. His older brother and sister were both 23, and though they did what they wanted mostly, they still had limits. Their eldest brother who was 30 had complete freedom because he was married and independent. His sister had almost as much freedom because she was a woman and not expected to inherit the Shutairo dojo.   
  
The last of the passengers were just filing out of the plane when they got to him. Two people there to convince him of something. Taisuke turned around when somebody said his name. "Mutsumi-san?"   
  
The anemic girl bowed her head and smiled the somewhat vacant smile she usually had. She was flaky, but smart. Smart enough to know that this wasn't an easy task. The second figure on the other hand was a complete mystery to Taisuke. It was a woman for sure, but she remained hidden beneath a cloak. Taisuke focused on the cloaked figure, there was something about her that seemed dangerous and yet familiar. A ki similar to something he had sensed before. "Who are you?"  
  
The figure tossed her cloak off and revealed a woman who looked shockingly similar to Kaolla. And that explained exactly why the ki seemed familiar. This had to be Kaolla's sister. "I'm Amalla Su, Kaolla's sister. I'm here with Mutsumi to convince you not to be stupid."  
  
Taisuke blinked in surprise and then anger rose up, he wasn't in the mood for insults. "What do you mean stupid? How dare you judge me?"   
  
Amalla tossed her head to the side and scoffed at the comment. "Ha! I'm me, that's who I am. And I know you're leaving because you don't want Kaolla and Shinobu to feel hurt. You believe that you have done wrong and you have to leave to make up for that wrong, to put everything right. But Kaolla doesn't feel that it is your fault, she blames herself for what happened, and very soon if she hasn't yet she will admit that she had no control over what she did and come to grips with it. And you want to run away and make her feel worse, she'll think you left because of her, and that will hurt her worse then how she is hurting now."   
  
Taisuke didn't realize it, but he had steadily been backing away. Everything Amalla said made sense, and struck a cord in him. Who was he to decide how another would feel? He had made a mistake certainly, but running away wasn't the way to solve it. He had to face his troubles head on and confront them. It was the only way. "What should I do?"   
  
The foreign woman smiled and turned a bit so she could face Mutsumi. Now the girl from Okinawa spoke. "By now one of the people who needs to understand has come to an understanding. You have to go to the other and make her understand."  
  
"The other?"  
  
(Fade out)  
  
DING-DONG!  
  
"Shinobu! Could you get the door?"  
  
"Hai Tou-san!" Shinobu set the sketch book down and got up still smiling. She was a bit embarrassed about what she had been drawing, but she was still in a fairly good mood. Her father had made her feel so welcome that she wasn't as unhappy as she might have been.   
  
She made her way to the door as fast as she could and opened it up to see who was there. Who she saw was the one person she would never have expected to see, and her sharp intake of breath was evidence of that. A bit of pink creeped into her cheeks.   
  
Taisuke stood there smiling, a bit of red in his cheeks he raised an arm in greeting.   
  
"Shinobu."  
  
(End theme)  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
yoake no hikari sosogu ka no chi wa doko?  
  
I'M A DREAMER  
Honojiroi sono hohoemi, douka sawarasete  
  
Koko wa hi no ataranai basho  
hitorikiri de naku toki no himitsu no basho  
sakebu youni namae yobunda  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no michi  
kimi ga inakerya, kimi sae ireba  
  
Kitto iku yo, hi no ataru basho  
kono mama ja owarenai, yakusoku ga aru  
tooi michi, hitosuji no hikari  
kimi ga iru kara, kimi sae ireba   
  
Author's Note: Sorry about that taking so long, as the end of the first semester of school rolled around I got stuck with a huge amount of work. I'm on vacation at last and was finally able to finish this chapter, since I've got two weeks off I think I'll be able to catch up a little bit. Hope you guys like this one, and just to let you know though I will be able to write chapters, I won't be able to upload them until I get home. 


	13. Episode 13

Disclaimer: I haven't mentioned it in a while, but I do not own Love Hina, the characters Taisuke and Sesaru are of my creation, Haka Akki is based off a character created by a friend but has been altered for this story. Get ready for some interesting new story lines, because here we go!   
  
(Enter opening theme)  
  
Yane no ue de sora o aogu, hizashi wa uraraka  
miageru sora, karadajuu genki ga minagitteku  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, akirameru da nante  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Uruwashi no yawaraka na hada, imada te wa todokazu  
me o tojireba fukuramu IMEEJI, miwaku no kajitsu  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, sono saki o mitai  
  
Dotou no hibi wa tsuzuku, doko made mo  
tengoku to jigoku, yukitsumodoritsu  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
hashire hashire, ai o te nisuru made  
sore de kurushimunara nozomu tokoro  
shukufuku no toki ga kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Te o nobashite, ryoute agete  
  
(End opening theme)  
  
  
Episode 13: Time for learning  
  
Day 23  
  
"Are you serious about this? I thought you only had a week left. How can you possibly do this in the time you have left?" Taisuke grinned and leaned back against the couch. It was a brilliant idea that Taisuke couldn't claim credit for. This very day he would go and make the last few arrangements so that he could attend a public high school! Imagine that, him attending high school! It was gonna be great.  
  
"I explained it before, Maehara-san made it all so clear that I couldn't believe I didn't think of it before hand. It seems so obvious now that I feel stupid. It'll work, trust me." Sesaru looked at him quizzically and shrugged his shoulders. In one fluid motion he tossed him the note Haruka and Keitaro had signed for him. As his temporary guardians they gave him permission to attend the school.   
  
(Flash back, Fade to Maehara Tokyo Apartment)  
  
"Shinobu."  
  
The blue-haired girl stepped back in shock. He was obviously the last person she expected to see, and especially to see in Tokyo. "Taisuke?"  
  
"Listen, Shinobu…I need to talk to you about…well…that whole thing." Yeah, he was doing well, doing well at stuttering and not actually managing to say anything. It was harder then he had expected to say what he needed to say. He wanted to make things right, but all he was doing was acting like an embarrassed little kid who just got caught doing something wrong. 'Or some stupid kid with a crush.' 'Shut up!'   
  
Casting those thoughts out of his head Taisuke tried to put what he had planned to say into words again. "We…something happened back there on that island that shouldn't have happened. But it was nothing that either of us controlled. I know that you blame yourself for what happened, and for quite a while I was blaming myself. But some friends explained a few things to me that made it all make more sense. We were worrying about whose fault it was, and not realizing that all we needed to do was forgive each other. We can't place blame. Shinobu, do you forgive me?"  
  
She just stood there at first, shaking a bit, but suddenly she began to move. She darted forward and wrapped her arms against him, he held her tight as she leaned her head against his shoulder. She was crying and trying to say something at the same time. Unconsciously he began to stroke her hair. "Taisuke…I forgive you…do you forgive me?"   
  
"Always. Always." She sniffled a bit, but she finally pulled away and scrubbed at her eyes. She was smiling though, that was always good. He tried to ignore the disappointed feeling that had come when she pulled away.   
  
"Shinobu? Who was it?" Taisuke and Shinobu turned to see a tall dark haired man coming around the corner. He stopped in surprise at seeing the two of them, and most likely at the fact that Shinobu had obviously just been crying.   
  
Shinobu smiled at the sight of the man, who Taisuke assumed was her father, and motioned for Taisuke to step forward. "Tou-san, this is Taisuke, he's a friend of mine from Hinatasou. He came by to talk to me about something."   
  
Taisuke grinned and bowed to the man, now confirmed as Shinobu's father. "Hello sir, I'm happy to meet you."   
  
Maehara-san gave him a once over and walked right up to him, hand extended. "It's nice to meet you as well Shutairo-chan. Shinobu mentioned you in one of her letters. She said you were only at Hinatasou for a short amount of time, a month wasn't it?"  
  
Taisuke nodded and brushed away silly thoughts about Shinobu writing to her father about him. "Yes sir. I came to learn what it was like to really be a teenager I suppose. To have a normal life for as long as I could."   
  
"A month seems a rather short time to learn what a normal life is like, could you elaborate a bit on the situation?"   
  
Maehara-san motioned for them to be seated, after everyone was sitting comfortably on the few chairs in front of a TV Taisuke began to explain. "You see my family is very much into the martial arts, my father runs one of the top martial arts schools in the world. I've been trained all my life in the martial arts with studies also integrated, but I've never actually had a social life, or what I would call a real life. So when I passed an important test I was given one month of time to do whatever I wished with it. I didn't even have to tell anyone where I was going."  
  
Shinobu took her turn to speak and used it to ask a question. "So if nobody knows where you are then why do you have to go back after a month?"   
  
Taisuke's jaw dropped and he sat there staring at her until he regained his senses. When he did he began to laugh. "I can't believe I never thought of that! I'd love to stay and do more for as long as I could. I know they'd find me eventually, but I think I'll stick around, make them come searching."   
  
The clearing of a throat brought Taisuke and Shinobu's attention back to Maehara-san. "If you intend to learn what it's like to be an average teenager then you should attend a public high school for as long as you can. Whatever time you gain by not automatically returning can be time for learning."  
  
"I can't just start attending a school, it doesn't work like that…does it?"  
  
Maehara-san shook his head and smiled. "All you have to do is get a letter from your temporary guardians to the school board requesting for you to be transferred into the school. And with Shinobu restarting school on Monday, I think everything would work out perfectly. I believe that Suu-chan attends the same school."   
  
Shinobu was shocked, at least somewhat, by her father's words. "Tou-san! He can really attend school with us?"   
  
"He should be able to, and since I'm pretty sure you'll be going back with him, I think you can help him get what he needs for school."   
  
(End flash back)  
  
Taisuke shifted in the chair in front of the principal. "That's all I ask sir, you said the letter was enough, what do I need to do to get ready?"   
  
The large man, the principal, was rather stuffy in his suit. But he seemed kind enough. "The letter had your size, we just need to prepare a uniform for you. The books we can give you now, and you'll be able to attend school without the uniform, but once we have it ready you are required to wear it. This sheet will tell you what you need to know about classes you'll be attending. You're class 3-B. Welcome to Hinata High School."   
  
Taisuke took the principal's extended hand and smiled at him. He was officially an average teenager. Tomorrow he would start attending high school, tomorrow he truly began to live the life he had been hoping to find during his month's stay. All he had to do was pray that it took his family a nice, long time to find him.   
  
(Flash back, Fade to Maehara Tokyo Apartment kitchen)  
  
Maehara-san was looking down at Taisuke and rubbing his chin in thought. "I was wondering just how you felt about your life at Hinatasou, it must be unusual for you to be around so many new people after having only associated with your family."  
  
Taisuke cast his eyes to the ground and twiddled his fingers. "Well it wasn't the being around new people that really effected me the most. There had been people coming and going to the shrine all the time, people wanting many things, including to be trained in our style. Most were turned away because they lacked what was needed to learn our art. It was something a bit more…embarrassing."   
  
"Embarrassing? What could be so embarrassing?"   
  
Taisuke tried to ignore the heat creeping into his face, but it was hard to. Yeah, he was blushing in front of Shinobu's father. 'Absolutely wonderful. Go and make yourself look like a little kid in front of him, great way to impress him.' 'Shut up!'   
  
"Well, the only girls I was ever around were my older sister and my eldest brother's wife, and her only a few times. It was very strange and a bit disconcerting for me to be around so many attractive women so suddenly. But I guess I've adapted. It helps that the kanrinin, Urashima Keitaro, acts as a sort of older brother for me at times. I also have an old friend there now who has always tried to help me be more of a normal teenager."   
  
"Ah yes, Urashima. Shinobu never mentioned it but for the longest time I think she had a crush on him. It's very easy for a parent to tell when their child likes someone. You can always tell, we also learn to tell whether that person returns the feeling."   
  
Maehara-san smiled at Taisuke in a way that made him feel a bit nervous. There was just something far too knowing in that smile. "Always?"  
  
The smile widened into an outright grin. "Always."   
  
(End theme two)  
  
Atarashii asa da mata hajimaru Good Day  
egao misete HAIHOO! aozora ni yoroshiku  
  
ikirutte koto wa jikken to bouken  
mada mada mada da yo hitahashiru mainichi  
  
Amaku yasashiku tsuyoku hageshiku  
saa motto suteki na asu o mezasou  
  
Hontou no hajimari wa kore kara  
waratte koronde Night & Day  
  
Yonayona yume miru owari no nai Lovesick  
atama no naka HAIHOO! eien no meiro da  
  
Sagashite motomete kizutsuitemo saisei  
kokoro wa habataku nando mo nando de mo   
  
Nagashita namida muda dewanai sa  
hora motto suteki na asu o egakou  
  
Hontou no hajimari wa kore kara  
waratte koronde Night & Day  
  
Hontou no hajimari wa kore kara  
waratte koronde Night & Day  
ureshi tanoshi Everyday  
waratte koronde I love you  
  
Author's note: Taisuke is going to school! MWUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAA! 


	14. Episode 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina, obviously. Taisuke and Sesaru of my creation as is the new character Torimoto Miko.   
  
Author's Note: Just to let you know, if you start to think its a crossover later on, its not. Just me being kind of wierd.   
  
"The lessons that we give you are more than enough. You learn just as much with us, if not more, then you would attending high school. And besides, those places are just distractions. I've seen what goes on at those schools and it certainly isn't proper."   
  
"I don't know dad, I think chipmouse would enjoy going to a public high school, I know I would have enjoyed going to one."  
  
"You stay out of this."  
  
"I appreciate the help, but stop calling me chipmouse!"   
  
(Enter opening theme)  
  
Yane no ue de sora o aogu, hizashi wa uraraka  
miageru sora, karadajuu genki ga minagitteku  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, akirameru da nante  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Uruwashi no yawaraka na hada, imada te wa todokazu  
me o tojireba fukuramu IMEEJI, miwaku no kajitsu  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
yamerarenai, sono saki o mitai  
  
Dotou no hibi wa tsuzuku, doko made mo  
tengoku to jigoku, yukitsumodoritsu  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
hashire hashire, ai o te nisuru made  
sore de kurushimunara nozomu tokoro  
shukufuku no toki ga kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Te o nobashite, ryoute agete  
  
(End opening theme)  
  
Episode 14: Way of the Average Teenager  
  
Day 24  
  
"ZANKUSEN!"   
  
POP!  
  
"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG!"  
  
"So you claim." Motoko sheathed her sword and reseated herself at the breakfast table. Everybody else drew their eyes away from the Sesaru shaped hole in the wall. His monkey had gone flying with him. What had happened probably wasn't Sesaru's fault. But Motoko had never waited on Keitaro to prove his true guilt, and there was no reason for her to change her methods for Sesaru. And Sesaru was worse then Keitaro in his perverted ways.   
  
"That was a pretty good one, I think he'll make it all the way across town this time." Taisuke bowed to her briefly and Motoko inclined her head in acceptance of the praise.   
  
"Thank you...but I believe that if you wait any longer you will be late on your first day."   
  
Taisuke's eyes widened and he spun about to look at the clock. He couldn't be late on his first day! 'If that's the case then why haven't Kaolla and Shinobu left yet?"   
  
The sudden roar of engines had everyone turning in their seats to see a metal turtle the size of a person come barreling down the stairs. It took a neat swerve and headed right for the kitchen.   
  
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Everyone scattered to the various corners of the kitchen, abandoning their food and chairs to seek relative saftey. But that wouldn't stop the Mecha Tama-chan. It swept right over the table overturning it and dove down towards Taisuke. He started to leap out of the way but a hand grasped onto his arm and held tight. Taisuke was now trailing behind the Mecha Tama-chan as it turned around and headed for the door. It burst right through the closed door and across the grounds. It was on the way down the stairs when Taisuke was hauled up onto the metal spring turtle's back.   
  
Finally he noticed the two people who had been on the mecha, Kaolla was piloting and Shinobu was sitting behind her in a little saddle with a seat belt. This was why they weren't worried about being late for school. Still trying to catch his breath Taisuke buckled himself into the third saddle and prayed for the insane ride to end. Not the best way to start to his first day at school, but better then being horribly late. Probably.   
  
The arrived at Hinata High School with two minutes to spare. They parked the Mecha and Kaolla hopped off as her usual giggly and happy self. Taisuke and Shinobu on the other hand sort of collapsed off the machine and lay on their backs trying to recover their senses. The most interesting bit was how Kaolla locked the turtle. She pushed a button on the controller she had and a orange field flickered into view and then vanished. Taisuke and Shinobu finally recovered and got back onto their feet, which left only a few things.   
  
"What was that thing Kaolla?"  
  
She grinned and gave them the victory sign. "A.T. Field!"   
  
Taisuke glanced at Shinobu who just shrugged. "So, where is everyone headed to now?" To answer the question Taisuke consulted the sheet the principal had given him.   
  
"I've got Mythology with Mr. Yorimoto."   
  
Shinobu glanced down at her schedule and looked up with a happy smile across her face. "Me too! What about the other classes?"  
  
All three of them consulted with each other for the last few minutes they had and discovered that Taisuke and Shinobu had Mythology, World History, and Art 2-D with each other. Respectivally they were 1st, 4th, and 6th period. Kaolla was in mostly more advanced classes then the other two and they were lucky that Kaolla had Art 2-D with them. Other then that they shared no classes.   
  
And so the day began, Taisuke and Shinobu heading one way, Kaolla heading the other. It was Taisuke's first day of school, he would get to find out what it was like to be a normal teenager and attend high school. 'I wonder what it was about High School that father thought was improper.'   
  
Once at class they found a little sign beside the door that said, 'Take any seat that is available'. It was almost like a restaraunt. The two of them of course chose seats next to each other, their seats were in the back of the room. Along the way Taisuke and Shinobu were watched by quite a few people. Taisuke by the female population of the class and Shinobu by the male population of the class. But because of their natural innocence neither of them noticed the looks they got.   
  
About ten minutes after the class was supposed to have started the teacher still hadn't shown up. Neither had all of the students, most of whom probably had known the teacher wouldn't be on time. One of those students happened to be a friend of Shinobu's. And with time to spare she entered the class and once she spotted Shinobu was on her way back. Shinobu greeted the freckled girl with a friendly hug and introduced her as Akiko.   
  
Before conversation could actually begin Mr. Yorimoto finally arrived in the class room. He was probably in his fifties or sixties, with white hair almost like a band around his head with the very top of his skull completely bald. He heard people whisper jokes about the man, one of the most common things the students called him was Jean Luc, which made no sense to Taisuke. Neither did the student's other comments, things like 'engage' and 'make it so'.   
  
"Ehem. Welcome to Mythology class. While you might get truly introduced to the class or get a syllabus, but I don't do things that way. In my class we get started the first day. And since today is the first day, that means you'll be working. We'll start things off by discussing a classic Japanese myth, that is commonly called the Fuedal Fairy Tale. It depicts the adventures of a woman from an undisclosed future era who goes back in time through a magical well and meets all sorts of magnificent creatures. She ends up going on a journey to collect shards of a mystic jewel that can give demons incredible power. Now open your books to page 37 and we will begin."  
  
There were shuffling sounds as the students turned their pages, and once there was silence Mr. Yorimoto cleared his throat and began to speak. At first everyone was paying attention, but as the minutes passed more and more students stopped paying attention. By the time that the class was all but over Taisuke felt that he was the last person paying attention. He glanced to his side and confirmed his thoughts, even Shinobu was no longer paying attention to Mr. Yorimoto.   
  
Instead she was speaking to Akiko in a language that Drake considered paltry, complicated, stupid, and in general the most irritating language on the planet. A language he hadn't bothered to learn because of its incredible stupidity. It contradicted its own rules many times and randomly made up new rules for certain words. The stupidest language on the planet. English.  
  
Shinobu hadn't started the conversation, though she understood pretty quickly where it was going. It had been Akiko who decided to start off the conversation, and of course ignore Mr. Yorimoto. "You can tell me."  
  
Shinobu blushed and avoided looking at the seat to her left and focused just on her friend. "There honestly isn't anything at all, really."  
  
Her friend smiled in a knowing manner. "That blush says your lying, and you've never been very good at that in the first place. You can tell me, are you more thean friends are not?"  
  
"I...I don't think so..."   
  
"Which means that there's always a chance."  
  
(Fade to grassy area)  
  
Taisuke sighed as he sat down on the grass and pulled out his lunch. So far all three of his periods had been boring. He hadn't really managed to get to know anyone, not in the first day. Akiko had been in his second class, but she hadn't even tried to speak to him.   
  
Before he could even start to open up his lunch he heard the distinct sound of a fist striking bone. He glanced quickly to the left and saw a boy rise from the ground and put his fists up, ready to fight against his opponent. Taisuke quickly surveyed the situation and decided that this boy didn't stand a chance. He was maybe fourteen years old, small, brown hair, and not all that impressive. It was a senior he was fighting, though the reason was unclear. Taisuke made his decision and walked over.   
  
"You better get back down, or I'll have to bitch slap you this time in front of everyone."   
  
The boy shook his head and stayed steady. "No. I can't let what you said slide. You can't talk about her that way, your the one who's the Inu." The older boy rolled his eyes and shrugged, then raised his fists to finish the fight.   
  
Taisuke stepped in between the two of them and stared straight at the older boy. "I can't let this fight continue. Its over, go do something more constructive."   
  
"Feh! I'm not just gonna back down because you tell me to. All I did was call his woman a bitch and he goes and gets pissed off and tries to defend her honor or some shit like that." Taisuke assessed the older boy, he was obviously strong because of his impressive ki. But it wasn't anything Taisuke couldn't handle. The one thing that did surprise Taisuke was the boy's eyes. They were a shocking violet color that stood out framed by his long black hair.   
  
The tension between the two was evident, but that tension didn't continue when a teacher started approaching. The senior turned around and started walking away, but not without throwing a comment over his shoulder. "We'll settle this some other time." Taisuke just rolled his eyes and turned to the boy behind him.   
  
The boy extended his hand. "Thanks for helping out there, the name's Ikari." Taisuke excepted the boy's hand and smiled.   
  
"Shutairo Taisuke."   
  
A girl with red-hair, a shock to see in Japan, came stomping over and grabbed Ikari by the ear. She nodded once to Taisuke and then continued in dragging Ikari away. Taisuke stared after them and heard a few comments fly. The only one he understood was, "Baka-Shinji." The rest was jibberish to him, and sounded like German.   
  
(Fade to classroom)  
  
Fourth and fifth period went by without note, sixth was now about to begin and all three of them would be in the class. Art 2-D, it didn't sound that exciting, but Taisuke had always wanted to learn how to draw. The teacher, one Ms. Yasumi, had them line up along the walls. Once everyone was lined up she began calling out names and telling those students where they would be seated. Upon hearing his own name Taisuke became fully aware again and went to his seat as directed. His seat was in the far left corner of the room at a table, Shinobu and Kaolla were both assigned to different areas.   
  
Taisuke waited patiently as the teacher continued assigning seats. Once that was done they could get to the real class stuff, get to learn how to draw and such.   
  
"Torimoto."  
  
"Hai."  
  
"Far left corner with Shutairo."  
  
"Hai."  
  
Taisuke looked up to see who had been assigned to his table and when he did his elbow slipped off its perch on the table. He recovered instantly and watched the girl, Torimoto, take her seat next to him. Rich chestnut-brown hair cascaded down her shoulders to frame her beautiful almost heart-shaped face and chocolate brown eyes. Her lips glistened enough to seem moist, he wrenched his eyes away from her and stared straight ahead. She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen, and he lived in a dormitory filled with beautiful women!   
  
And then she turned and spoke to him.   
  
"Hey there, I'm Miko." She held her hand out to him.   
  
Taisuke had the strange urge to laugh, but he contained himself. He took her hand and smiled at her and tried not to blush. Her skin was so smooth. "I'm Taisuke. Or Tai if you don't want to say the rest of it."  
  
She giggled. Her voice was rich and incredibly vibrant, and it took a lot of effort to release her hand and turn towards the front again. "I'll go with Tai then. Nice to meet you Tai, I bet we'll have fun together."   
  
He could only nod weakly.   
  
The teacher gave them their assignment. Everyone was to draw something to demonstrate their artistic abilities, just to give the teacher a good idea of what they knew or what natural talent they might have. Taisuke set a blank piece of paper in front of him, took out a pencil, and stared at the paper. He had no idea what to draw.   
  
"No ideas?"  
  
Taisuke turned to Miko and chuckled. "Yeah, my first time doing any real drawing and I've got no inspiration." They laughed together, they weren't too loud though, because by then about everyone in the class was talking.   
  
"You could always draw the class or something like that. It might be a bit difficult, but its probably easier then drawing anything really specific."   
  
"Well I want to see what I can do, I have drawn some before, but not that much. I want to stretch myself, not keep into the confines of things I've done before."   
  
Suddenly she got this sly look that reminded him of Kitsune. "You could always do the Mona Lisa."  
  
"The Mona Lisa? What do you mean by that?"   
  
She laughed at his incredulous stare. "Draw somebody you know, just the face, or the whole body if you want. A portraitish thing."  
  
Taisuke grinned and surpressed the urge to tell her, 'portraitish', wasn't a word. Looking at her he found himself inspired. And he couldn't look away. "Yeah, I think I just might do that. Can I call you Mona?"  
  
She laughed again and bowed briefly. "Certainly Leonardo."   
  
This just might turn out to be his favorite class.   
  
(End theme two)  
  
Atarashii asa da mata hajimaru Good Day  
egao misete HAIHOO! aozora ni yoroshiku  
  
ikirutte koto wa jikken to bouken  
mada mada mada da yo hitahashiru mainichi  
  
Amaku yasashiku tsuyoku hageshiku  
saa motto suteki na asu o mezasou  
  
Hontou no hajimari wa kore kara  
waratte koronde Night & Day  
  
Yonayona yume miru owari no nai Lovesick  
atama no naka HAIHOO! eien no meiro da  
  
Sagashite motomete kizutsuitemo saisei  
kokoro wa habataku nando mo nando de mo   
  
Nagashita namida muda dewanai sa  
hora motto suteki na asu o egakou  
  
Hontou no hajimari wa kore kara  
waratte koronde Night & Day  
  
Hontou no hajimari wa kore kara  
waratte koronde Night & Day  
ureshi tanoshi Everyday  
waratte koronde I love you 


	15. Episode 15

(Enter opening theme)  
  
Yane no ue de sora o aogu, hizashi wa uraraka  
  
miageru sora, karadajuu genki ga minagitteku  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
  
yamerarenai, akirameru da nante  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Uruwashi no yawaraka na hada, imada te wa todokazu  
  
me o tojireba fukuramu IMEEJI, miwaku no kajitsu  
  
THAT'S SO WONDERFUL! ikiterunda!  
  
yamerarenai, sono saki o mitai  
  
Dotou no hibi wa tsuzuku, doko made mo  
  
tengoku to jigoku, yukitsumodoritsu  
  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
  
hashire hashire, ai o te nisuru made  
  
sore de kurushimunara nozomu tokoro  
  
shukufuku no toki ga kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Tohou ni kureta kinou ni sayonara  
  
futsufutsu to wakiagaru kono kimochi  
  
nando demo yomigaeru, hana o sakaseyou  
  
omoi dewa itsumo amai nige basho  
  
dakedo tachi kire, asu o ikiru tame  
  
shukufuku no toki wa kuru, te o nobashite  
  
Te o nobashite, ryoute agete  
  
(End opening theme)  
  
Episode 15: What a girl wants  
  
Day 28  
  
Three girls sat around a single table in the cafeteria of Hinata High. Three giggly chatting girls who were considered to be the snobbiest and of course, hottest girls in school. And it seemed that the center of attention was one beautiful brown-haired girl, and the picture that she had shown to her friends.   
  
And a simple glance at it showed that it was a picture of her. More of a drawing actually. And each of the girls was oh so happy. The first of them, Fujiko Mine, handed the drawing back to Miko who accepted it graciously. "It's quite good, looks a lot like you. It's really sweet that he'd do that."   
  
The second one, Mihoni Mayu, scoffed at that. "Knowing Miko you shouldn't believe everything at face value. You said something to interest him and get him to do it. Well, do tell?"   
  
Miko smiled a sly smile that was fairly reminiscent of Hinatasou's resident drunkard and fox girl. "Maybe a little, it didn't take much, just a few smiles and a suggestion of using someone, or something, in the class as a portrait."  
  
The three girls giggled again. Mine laid 500 yen on the table to catch everyone's attention. "I'm betting ten days."  
  
Mayu considered this proposal and then set another 500 yen down. "I'll go with two weeks."  
  
Miko brought her hands up to her chest and gasped in mock shock. "So little faith in me? You should know me better then that by now."   
  
(Later)  
  
"You climb, or you get a zero on today's grade." Taisuke rolled his eyes as the burly gym teacher paced back and forth looking over the guys in the gym like they were in boot camp. But Taisuke had done far worse then boot camp, and this was nothing.   
  
"We'll be counting the speed of the climbs, and I'll put them up on The Board, so everyone knows just how well, or bad you did." There were grumbles and even some nervous jitters, but several of the students felt very confident about themselves. Taisuke waited, and waited, and waited, until at least it came to him. So far the fastest time was nine seconds and fifty-four milliseconds. A very impressive climb, but Taisuke wasn't even worried.  
  
The coach eyed him up and down and scoffed. Taisuke knew that while his body was muscularly well-defined, he wasn't that large in general, so it wasn't obvious. The coach didn't think he could manage it, but he wasn't the first person the coach had looked down upon. "Go ahead and try Shutairo, but don't embarrass yourself. Go ahead and use your feet."  
  
Taisuke eyed the rope up and down and then glanced at the coach. "Are you ready with that stop watch?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Then I won't even use my hands." With one leap Taisuke was at the top of the rope and ringing the bell. The coach had barely had time to click the button. His time came out as 49 milliseconds.   
  
The rest of gym class went by without anything major happening, but when Taisuke was finished getting back into his school uniform and ready to be dismissed to his next class . . . the coach approached him. "Shutairo."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You into any sports?"  
  
(Sixth Period)  
  
"Today we will continue work on our individual projects, which of course will be due at the end of the period. Don't forget."  
  
Taisuke had already finished his portrait so was left with the rest of the period to do whatever he wanted. But he really wasn't sure what to do. With boredom encroaching he glanced to his right to see what Miko was up to.   
  
She wasn't working on her project either, and he could see a piece of paper with something on it in the upper corner of her desk. She was done, but she seemed to be working on something. And she seemed really annoyed by it. For a while he managed to resist the temptation, but finally he gave in and asked her. "What are you up to?"  
  
Miko sighed and pushed the book and paper away and set her pencil down. She slumped back against her chair and brushed her hair away from her eyes. "I'm trying to figure this all out, but it's just so stupid. I can't do it."  
  
"What are you trying to do?"  
  
"Its trig, and I can't do it. I just don't understand how it works. The teacher makes it all sound so easy, but I've never been too good at math and Mr. Akumba doesn't help at all."   
  
"What about getting a tutor?"  
  
She sighed and he noticed a bit of red flash across her cheeks. She turned away a bit, obviously somewhat uncomfortable, and then mumbled something.   
  
"What? I couldn't hear you."  
  
She sighed again and then turned back to him, her knees touching his. "I'm embarrassed. I don't want people to know that I have to be tutored and though they say it's a private matter, everyone always finds out anyway. I just wish there was some way of having a tutor and not having anyone know about it."  
  
He felt terrible seeing her feeling so bad, he had to say or do something to make it better. "Is there anything I can do to help?"  
  
She shook her head and looked downcast at the ground.   
  
He snapped his fingers as he had a sudden revelation. He had the perfect solution! "I can help you. I'm pretty good at math."  
  
Suddenly she seemed really happy, she took hold of his hands and was all smiles again. "Would you really do that for me?"  
  
He grinned, happy that she was happy. "Absolutely." Then it dawned on him.  
  
"There might be a problem though. I do live at Hinatasou, and there's a bunch of other people there. So I'm not sure how I could tutor you and not have anyone find out."  
  
She started to look downcast again, which made him feel horrible. He had to figure out a way to make it work. There had to be some way to tutor her at Hinatasou and not have anyone find out about it.   
  
At last a possible solution came to him. "I have the perfect idea to make it work. Hinatasou has this annex that nobody uses, we could go there and study. But we'd have to sneak in there without anyone noticing us. Think you could manage that? I'd meet you there to study."  
  
She nodded, her hair bobbing prettily, and he felt himself start to blush. She was certainly beautiful. "I can do that. When should I get there?"  
  
"Eight is fine. Everyone should be done eating by then."   
  
"Eight it is. But where exactly is the annex, I know how to get to Hinatasou, but I'm not sure where the annex is."  
  
So Taisuke proceeded to tell her where the annex was and how to get there. At 7:50 he would grab his books and sneak out through the window, he would then make his way to the annex and await her arrival. They would have finished dinner by 7:00 at the most and then he would study with Shinobu and Kaolla for the next thirty minutes, and then say he had to get some rest and head to his room. The rest would go from there.   
  
(After school)  
  
"That's brilliant! You truly are the master." Miko smiled and bowed to her two friends, first to one, and then to the other. She certainly was good.   
  
Mayu sighed and pouted like a little child. "It looks like we're gonna end up paying you again Miko. We never should have made any bet with you."   
  
Miko got that sly look on her face again and placed one hand on her him and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Of course, no man can resist me."   
  
Together the three friends laughed as they walked away from school, two of them glumly and the other with quite a bit of self-assurance.   
  
(At Hinatasou)  
  
"Sorry, I'm just feeling a little bit sleepy. We can study more tomorrow." Taisuke picked up his books and got to his feet. He made sure to yawn as he exited the room and headed toward his. He would deposit the books, grab some math stuff, and vault up onto the roof. From there he could sneak unnoticed to the annex.   
  
Kaolla and Shinobu had very similar thoughts as he left. They both wondered why he was tired now, when he had been so awake thirty minutes before. Perhaps it was one of those sudden things that catch you off guard, or maybe something else. The two girls glanced at each other, shrugged once, and returned to their studying.   
  
While the two girls were busy with the books, Taisuke was busy on the roof. He moved stealthily across the roof of Hinatasou, taking each step carefully, so as not to create any noises for those in the rooms below his feet to hear. He had about five minutes before he was supposed to be at the annex, at his best running speed it would take less than a minute, but going as he was it'd probably take the full five minutes.   
  
And it turned out that his estimate was right. It had taken him nearly the full five minutes to get to the annex being so slow and sneaky. Perhaps he could get ninja training one day. Hell, all he had to do was ask Sesaru and he'd get a few lessons about how to be sneaky.   
  
The older boy was quite skilled at getting around without being seen, mostly because the earliest work he had ever done was pickpocketing. Of course Taisuke was well aware that Sesaru now used those skills to get peaks of girls when they were in . . . compromising situations.   
  
Chuckling about his friend's perversity Taisuke slipped into the annex and was shocked to see Miko already there. Or rather he was shocked at what she was wearing. A blue skirt that didn't even reach mid-thigh and a low-necked top. "Ready to get busy Taisuke?" He could only nod.  
  
(Hinatasou)  
  
Sesaru closed his eyes and breathed deeply of the night's air. It was so fresh, especially compared to the smells he was used too in the city. He knew that Tokyo was comparable in size to the American city of New York, but he also knew that it was far cleaner. Even so the city didn't have the pure feeling that could be found at Hinatasou.   
  
In one swift motion he snapped his eyes open, spun around, and slid into a fighting position as he heard and felt someone behind him. "Not only are you on edge, but you aren't where you belong either."  
  
He relaxed when he recognized the woman who had approached him so carefully, without letting him notice her presence until she was close enough to strike. She had deliberately wanted to scare him, and he had given her the reaction she desired. "Hello Motoko, how are you today?"  
  
Motoko merely glared at him and pointedly settled her hand on the hilt of her sword. On a good day he could nearly match Motoko for a certain amount of time, but he still wasn't good enough to beat her. Worse yet, this wasn't exactly one of his good days, and should he do anything wrong or stupid he'd end up in orbit. "You want to know why I'm here? Well that's rather complicated. It would take a lot of time to explain so I don't think you want me to go into it. After all, it is getting late."   
  
"Do not attempt to lie to me Sesaru. You have been coming here quite often, despite the fact that you are not a resident. This would not be too great an issue since your friend does live here. However you have been coming and trying to remain unnoticed. Explain yourself or suffer my wrath."   
  
Sesaru smiled placatingly and slowly edged toward the nearest exit. If he could just get far enough away before she attacked then he'd have a good chance of escaping unharmed. "Well, you see . . . the fact is . . . I . . . uh . . . "  
  
In an act of god, or because of sheer dumb luck, the one person who could answer that question without Sesaru bruising his own pride appeared. "Sesaru has nowhere else to go. He's a homeless bum, a worthless sac of flesh who can't even hold a job for more then a few hours. That is . . . if he can actually get a job."  
  
Ah yes. He could always trust Kanako to bruise his pride for him. He loved that in a woman.  
  
(Annex)  
  
The night seemed to stretch on forever. Taisuke felt that he had helped Miko in her work, but it didn't seem like she actually had much trouble with the concepts, it seemed more like a mental block to him. Of course he had been hard pressed to focus on teaching her while she pressed against him, looking over his shoulder to watch how he solved the problems.   
  
She was always very close to him, and whenever he looked at her she smiled at him. Over the course of the night he found himself becoming extremely uncomfortable, simply because he didn't know how to deal with her attention.   
  
He had gotten used to Kaolla being close to him, but she was always so playful that it wasn't a big deal. This was different though, and he wasn't sure why it was. It just seemed that while she was being playful, it was a different sort of play then what Kaolla would do.   
  
He couldn't pin his finger on exactly why it bothered him and every time he tried to put some thought into it, there she was. His other experiences with women in such close quarters were limited, and the only time he had felt even remotely this uncomfortable was back on the island when . . .   
  
Taisuke shook his head, trying to rid himself of such thoughts. Whenever he thought about what happened on the island, he always got this odd feeling that he couldn't quite describe. Even worse was the dream that he sometimes had about the island and what might have happened had he not defeated Haka Akki.   
  
Of course the dreams that he had about what might have happened had Haka Akki not arrived at that particular time also haunted him . . . in a good and bad way. Those dreams made him feel . . . well they made him feel almost like he had when on the island, and that was a feeling that had steadily been growing.   
  
His idle thoughts were cut off in midstream when he noticed that he could now hear Miko breathing steadily over his shoulder. It was not the breathing pattern of someone who was awake, but of someone who had drifted off to sleep.   
  
Turning his head a bit to the side he confirmed his thoughts, she was indeed asleep. She must have fallen asleep while he was busy thinking, first about the problem at hand, and then about all those other things.   
  
It took him a moment to realize that it wasn't right to wake her from such a peaceful sleep and another moment after that to realize he now had a problem. If he didn't wake her then he had no way of knowing how to get her home. But he didn't want to wake her. So what to do?  
  
A couple of minutes contemplation got him the answer that he needed. If he had to get advice on what to do in a situation such as this there were was one person he knew he could absolutely trust to be confidential and to give him advice on what to do. Urashima Keitaro.  
  
It was on his way to the manager's room, carrying Miko in his arms, that he realized the flaw in his plan. He could trust Keitaro never to tell anyone that he was tutoring her and not to take his appearance with her out of context. But Keitaro wouldn't know what to do any more then he did. At least he didn't think so.  
  
Now his dilemma had just increased. How to get her home without waking her, revealing to anyone that she was being tutored, and without the situation being taken out of context. Reluctantly he turned and headed toward a different room as he came to the conclusion that he would only get two out of the three.   
  
The last choice was the one person who he was certain could tell him where just about everyone lived in this town. She did that much spying. Of course while she would take it out of context, it would probably be more to rattle him then anything else.   
  
She was trustworthy if a little bit . . . well the only way to describe her was by the name everyone called her. She was, is, and always will be Kitsune. He wondered if anyone actually called her Konno Mitsune any more . . .   
  
(Kitsune's Room)  
  
Konno Mitsune, commonly known as Kitsune, was an odd creature. A species unto herself one might say. The normal human being has a fairly limited tolerance for the substance known as alcohol and once they have imbibed too greatly of it the become intoxicated.   
  
However, Kitsune was capable of drinking what twenty others couldn't drink together without it having any sort of adverse effect. Whether this is because of a developed resistance or simply because she possesses the rare FX negative blood type is unknown.   
  
In the United States you are considered legally drunk if your blood alcohol level is .08, the number is similar in Japan. Konno Mitsune is of average height and weighs roughly 120 pounds (though getting her too actual admit to any specific weight might be impossible.) For a female of this weight consuming 10 drinks in one hour (drinks being a general term) would give her a blood alcohol level of .42, 5.25 times higher then what is considered legally drunk.  
  
However in the past hour Konno Mitsune has consumed 10 bottles of Sake, which would translate roughly into 200 drinks. The average human being would be passed out or dead after drinking that much alcohol in such a short amount of time. Konno Mitsune, as was previously stated, is a species unto her self, completely apart from Homo Sapiens . . . or the human race.   
  
When Taisuke entered her room, Kitsune was still capable of walking in a straight line, however it must be noted that her vision was a bit fuzzy and her thinking slightly clouded. Only slightly though, not enough to truly hamper a person.   
  
"Ahh, Taisuke. What do you have there? A pretty girl eh? Having some fun where we?" Taisuke rolled his eyes and entered. He had already accepted the fact that he would get a response like that one from the fox girl, but he wasn't expecting to see her standing with the number of empty sake bottles he saw around her.   
  
"Kitsune . . . did you drink all of that yourself . . . tonight?"  
  
She grinned and reached into her closet, pulling free another bottle. Casually she popped it open and gulped a little down and let out a sigh of satisfaction. "Not just tonight, it had to have been over the last hour."  
  
Taisuke stared blankly at Kitsune for a moment, before shaking his head and moving on with his request. "I have a problem that I need some help with. You see, this girl here asked me to tutor her in Trigonometry but she didn't want anyone at school to know about it, so she and I snuck into the annex so I could tutor her secretly. But now she's asleep and I don't want to disturb her. So I was wondering if you could think of any way I could get her home without anybody finding out."  
  
Kitsune rubbed her chin thoughtfully and inspected the girl closely. There was something familiar about her that she just couldn't place her finger on. Briefly she remembered talking to a girl who looked similar to this one, but less developed. Obviously she had been younger whenever Kitsune had met her. "She looks familiar, what's her name?"  
  
"Her name is Torimoto Miko. She's in my Art class."  
  
Kitsune nodded and made the connection. That was why the girl seemed too familiar. It was the girl she had tutored three years ago. At the time she had even been in Shinobu's class if she remembered correctly, the girl had mentioned something about being in the same room as Shinobu.   
  
"It's easy. All you have to do is use the Student Directory you were given when you started classes. It'll have where she lives there, and all you have to do is take her to wherever the directory says."  
  
Taisuke's eyes widened and he crushed the impulse to smack himself upside the head. It was so simple! How could have missed it when Kitsune was able to come up with it in five seconds after drinking ten bottles of sake? She truly was a different species.   
  
"Thanks Kitsune. I'll go grab my directory and then deliver her. See you later." With that he slipped out the door, still carrying Miko and her books in his arms.   
  
Kitsune watched him go and shook her head, taking another casual gulp out of the sake bottle. Taisuke had no idea what he was getting into. If her hunch was correct, and her hunches always were, then Miko was trying to get Taisuke into bed and then dump him right after. Even worse . . . she would seduce him using methods that Kitsune had kindly taught the girl for a hefty sum of money.   
  
"Maybe I should tell him . . . Nah! That would ruin all the fun! Or at least it would ruin his fun, the guy has to get an education sometime, and it might as well be from someone who knows what she's doing."  
  
Despite her words Kitsune felt somehow . . . guilty. Ignoring the feeling she began to down the bottle as fast as she could. It was times like these that she wished it were easier for her to get drunk.  
  
(End theme two)  
  
Atarashii asa da mata hajimaru Good Day  
  
egao misete HAIHOO! aozora ni yoroshiku  
  
ikirutte koto wa jikken to bouken  
  
mada mada mada da yo hitahashiru mainichi  
  
Amaku yasashiku tsuyoku hageshiku  
  
saa motto suteki na asu o mezasou  
  
Hontou no hajimari wa kore kara  
  
waratte koronde Night & Day  
  
Yonayona yume miru owari no nai Lovesick  
  
atama no naka HAIHOO! eien no meiro da  
  
Sagashite motomete kizutsuitemo saisei  
  
kokoro wa habataku nando mo nando de mo   
  
Nagashita namida muda dewanai sa  
  
hora motto suteki na asu o egakou  
  
Hontou no hajimari wa kore kara  
  
waratte koronde Night & Day  
  
Hontou no hajimari wa kore kara  
  
waratte koronde Night & Day  
  
ureshi tanoshi Everyday  
  
waratte koronde I love you  
  
_______________________________________________  
  
Author's Notes: I return after the hugest bout of writers' block in my entire life! For some reason no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't do this chapter. However over this week I was able to get it done in pieces, it took me nearly the entire week to do it since I didn't sit down for more then an hour at a time. I hope my hard work payed off. Even more so I hope that I can continue to write more chapters and finish out this story. I hate leaving it hanging.  
  
Also, I wanted to give a note about the three girls. I mentioned Miko having been in Shinobu's class three years previous because of the first appearance of Shinobu. In the anime (I'm not totally sure about the manga since I couldn't get a hold of it when I started this) there are three girls who are doing the Ikiko's make-up, the horrible make-up job.   
  
Well those same girls later snub Shinobu's attempt at friendship, basically they appeared to be the snobby girls of the class. I took this into account and created the three most popular girls at the school, who were once those three. I leave it up to the reader to decide which one grows up to be Miko.   
  
Review please! 


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